Union officials have rejected claims that there is spare capacity in WA's jails, such as Hakea Prison. Source: PerthNow
CLAIMS of spare beds in Western Australia's prison system have been vehemently rejected by a union official.
WA Prison Officers Union national secretary John Welch said Corrective Services Minister Murray Cowper was wrong in saying there were 247 surplus beds in the state's prison system, labelling the claim "spin-doctory gone mad''.
The system was actually more than 1500 beds short and was the most overcrowded in the country, Mr Welch said.
"The idea that we are not overcrowded or not short of staff is demonstratively false - we currently have 4900 prisoners in a system for 3500,'' he said today.
Mr Cowper today said in a statement there were currently 5136 "operational'' beds available in the state and 4889 prisoners incarcerated.
Mr Welch said the government was fudging the numbers because "operational'' levels were effectively for emergencies.
WA prisons had exceeded the recommended capacity through double-bunking - having two beds in a single cell designed for one person, he said.
The practice caused problems for prison staff because it angered prisoners, Mr Welch said.
"The reality is those people are angry, cranky, frustrated. Who deals with that? The prison officers.''
Mr Welch said 13 out of WA's 14 prisons were chronically overcrowded, with some running at 140 to 150 per cent of capacity.
Mr Cowper said the government's infrastructure program would add 2600 beds to the prison system and followed eight years under the Labor government in which there were only 300 new beds.
"It is a reality that double-bunking exists in most prison systems across the world,'' Mr Cowper said.
"We don't apologise for this. These offenders are not at a hotel - they are in prison.''
Mr Welch said the previous government did not resolve the issue of overcrowding in state prisons but the current government was not fixing the problem either, and even when current development projects were completed, there would still be a shortage of 1200 to 1700 cells.
The union recently launched their 'Respect the Risk' campaign, asking for a 15 per cent pay rise over three years for prison officers as well as safer working conditions.
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