Minimum security wing unused for a decade despite prison overcrowding
The minimum-security wing at a $232 million prison in regional WA has never been used, despite union claims that prisoners are sleeping on the floor in other parts of the facility.
A minimum-security wing at Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison in Kalgoorlie-Boulder has remained unused for a decade despite prison overcrowding, due to staffing issues. Located outside the prison's secure perimeter fence, Unit 5 is a minimum-security transition unit that has never been used since its opening 10 years ago. The Department of Justice attributes this to staffing issues and offers housing incentives to attract prison officers in the region.
Union claims suggest that some prisoners at the Boulder jail are sleeping on the floor due to overcrowding, a claim the department denies. The prison houses 330 inmates, below its capacity of 367, and there are allegations that 20 prisoners are sleeping on mattresses on the floor, though the department maintains that prisoners have not slept on the floor for the past couple of months.
The prison was built to house up to 367 inmates and has been maintained by a contractor even though Unit 5 has never been used, costing the government a significant amount of money.
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