Officers assaulted at Wooroloo Prison

After 13 assaults over the holiday season and nearly 100 in the last year 3 more prison officers have been assaulted at Wooroloo Prison over the weekend.

An officer was seeking to manage the visits at Wooroloo Prison when he had need to speak to a prisoner about their behaviour. The officer was then the subject of blows leaving him with bruises and scratches to his eyes along with shoulder injuries.

It is unclear at this stage whether the shoulder injury will need hospital treatment.

Two other officers were assaulted while trying to restrain the prisoner.

WA Prison Officers’ Union Secretary John Welch said the new year had begun as 2012 has finished with the State’s prison officers getting assaulted at work while they help keep the community safe.

Mr Welch said that while the general community recognised that the state’s prison officers carried out dangerous jobs the Barnett Government refuses to recognise the tough work these officers do by providing better pay and conditions for the risks the officers face.

For months now prison officers have been calling for better pay and conditions for officers, proper staffing levels at prisons and new prison facilities to deal with the chronic overcrowding in the prison system.

With only eight weeks to go until the State Election prison officers are calling on the Barnett Government to sign a new enterprise bargaining agreement before the election.

“The Barnett Government needs to show respect to the men and women working in Western Australia’s jails by better funding the system and paying prison officers a fairer wage for the risks they face,” Mr Welch said.

For more information about the ‘Respect the Risk’ campaign visit: www.respecttherisk.com.au