Riot at Casuarina as prison reaches boiling point

The WA Prison Officers’ Union warned the Minister of Corrective Services of the risk of a riot
in WA jails, just hours before a wing at Casuarina Prison was trashed.

It happened just after 6PM last night when dozens of prisoners in the segregation unit
barricaded themselves in before causing serious damage to the wing, including ripping up the
porcelain sinks and smashing them into pieces.

The unit is so damaged, it’s likely the prisoners will have to be moved to another jail.
WAPOU Secretary Andy Smith said the union had warned the Minister at a meeting just hours
earlier in the day that WA prisons were at boiling point.

“Across WA we are currently short about 800 prison officers. This is a result of the Department
failing to attract and retain staff as well as officers on workers compensation and the vaccine
mandate,” Mr Smith said.

“Casuarina alone is running 30 to 60 staff short a day and it has got to a point where the prison
is so short staffed, at the weekend the Department brought in superintendents to cover prison
officers’ shifts.

“Our members are at breaking point and are exhausted from doing countless hours of
overtime just to ensure the prisons can run.

“The Department has blatantly ignored our warnings of the serious staff shortages and has
failed to act to ensure our jails are safe.

“As we enter this summer season, the situation is only going to escalate, and it won’t be long
before we see more riots or serious incidents.

“The Department is more interested in saving money than ensuring the safety or our members
and the community,” Mr Smith said.