Day release prisoners allegedly ate guinea pigs. This report may tell us why

A report into Western Australia’s three minimum security prisons has revealed a raft of issues at Wooroloo Prison Farm, including a lack of food, days after inmates there were reported to have eaten pet guinea pigs.

The Inspection of Prison Farms report was tabled in parliament on Tuesday, a week after prisoners who were undertaking paid work in the community as part of their rehabilitation, were reported to have taken the unwanted pets from an animal shelter they were working at to eat.

A prison staff member raised the alarm after guinea pig carcasses were found in a shed outside the prison perimeter, launching an investigation by the Department of Corrective Services.

But a report released on Tuesday by the Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services highlights a range of issues with the section 95 program run out of Wooroloo – where the guinea pig scandal originated – including a lack of food and paltry pay.

Wooroloo’s section 95 activities remain suspended pending the outcome of an investigation into the guinea pig fiasco.

Tuesday’s report revealed 40 per cent of inmates participating in the program out of Wooroloo were paid just $7.38 per day, “despite often performing meaningful and physically demanding tasks for sustained periods”.

While the survey the report was based on showed inmates enjoyed the opportunity to work in the community as part of the program, significant issues “detracted from the overall incentive”, the report read.

“This included the quality and quantity of food which was provided while they were working in the community,” the report stated.

“They received one chicken roll which did not sustain them and were disappointed excess food in the prison was regularly discarded rather than provided to them.”

The report also stated that three key recommended changes relating specifically to prisoner employment programs were not supported by the Department of Justice, which Inspector of Custodial Services Eamon Ryan called “disappointing”.

Ryan said the programs were “highly regarded rehabilitation opportunities central to pre-release preparation” and slammed the department for making “little commitment to addressing [issues] beyond retaining the status quo”.

The department responded by acknowledging the need for access to the programs, but said it was not practical to speed up the applications process.

It also said that forcing prisoners to pay for their own accommodation as part of the paid employment programs was promoting “financial literacy” and helping them to understand budgeting.

The report also revealed the prison farms were massively underresourced, with Wooroloo in particular suffering from staffing shortages.

All three of the prison farms in Karnet, Wooroloo and Pardelup were almost at capacity at the time the review was conducted last year, which also stated that the numbers of people in custody across the state had “surged” in the last two years.

An influx of inmates in the broader prison system had put pressure on the selection process of prisoners being housed at minimum security prisons like Wooroloo, the report found, which led to some being sent there who were not “suitable” for the environment.

“Staff at Karnet and Wooroloo expressed their concerns people were arriving at the farms too early in their sentence without appropriate staging at medium-security facilities,” the report stated.

“Management at Karnet reported medium-security ratings were being overridden and downgraded
to minimum security at increasing frequency.”

Staff were also concerned about prisoners coming to the farms who were still entrenched in drug use and bikie gangs, the report revealed, which led to an increase in staff feeling unsafe.

The last time Wooroloo was inspected, a survey showed zero staff had safety concerns, while this survey revealed 17 per cent did. The national average for staff reporting feelings of being unsafe is 10 per cent.

The report said staff safety concerns were compounded by staff shortages.

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.