West Kimberley Regional Prison: Inmates break out of cells in late-night riot, set fire to shade sail

A riot broke out at a Kimberley prison at the weekend, with several prisoners escaping from their cells. The West Australian can reveal a group of inmates at West Kimberley Regional Prison in Derby set fire to a shade sail and broke out of their cells on Saturday night. According to the WA Prison Officers’ union the riot lasted several hours. The Department of Justice said a number of medium-security inmates, who are routinely locked down at night, broke out of their cells about 10.20pm. “The site was secured, and the incident was resolved due to a rapid interagency response by prison staff and local police with coordination from the State Operations Command Centre,” a Department spokeswoman said. “There was no risk to the community, with the incident confined to the bounds of the prison and resolved in the early hours of Sunday morning.” The Department said no staff were injured in the riot and that all prisoners were accounted for by early Sunday morning. Claims by the union that 45 beds had been destroyed were denied by the Department, who said no beds were destroyed. It is understood the number of inmates initially involved in the riot was between eight and 20, but that number is subject to further investigation. A shade sail was set alight during the riot by inmates, but the fire didn’t spread to other structures before it was doused. The exact extent of the damage is being assessed, with the department reviewing footage of the incident. Criminal charges could be laid, the Department said, with special operations group officers travelling to the prison to help with the movement of inmates. Corrective Services Commissioner Brad Royce said his staff “were quick to respond in difficult circumstances”. Mr Royce said prison workers “partnered with local police and staff at the State Operations Command Centre in Perth, to achieve a successful resolution.” The riot comes as the Cook Government said 388 inmates across the State were sleeping on mattresses on the floor of cells last month, in what they describe as a “last resort” measure in response to overcrowding. Hakea Prison in Canning Vale recorded the worst number, with 95 prisoners recorded sleeping on mattresses on the floor on a single day in June. Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia slammed the inmates behind the riot in a statement sent to The West Australian. “I commend prison staff and police who acted swifty to resolve this incident safely,” he said. “Prisoners at West Kimberley are accommodated in a purpose designed open-plan, on-country facility and those involved in this disturbance should be condemned for squandering that privilege. “An investigation is now underway into disturbance and criminal charges could follow.” WAPOU secretary Andy Smith said other prisons would now be subject to more overcrowding as a result of the riot, with some inmates likely moved from the Derby facility. “We just don’t have spare cells anywhere in the State,” he said. “Now we’re going to see more crowding in all of the jails, because they’re going to have to move prisoners out, and we’re just going to see more violent incidents occur right across the State.” Mr Smith said worsening conditions in WA prisons is putting entire communities at risk. “The community is in danger, especially, in these regional areas, where if, our officers hadn’t gone in and quelled what was rapidly increasing in veracity, we would have seen people escape into the community, and then it becomes a danger to everybody,” he said. “We were lucky that our staff we didn’t sustain any any injuries, however, on the Friday and the Saturday, there were some serious assaults on our members at the prison (unrelated to the riot).” According to data tabled in Parliament this year, the Derby prison was operating at 110 per cent capacity on a single day in May — the second highest across the State. The data recorded 256 inmates at the facility, 25 more than it is equipped for. And on single day in June, 37 inmates were sleeping on a mattress on the floor of a cell at the same facility. Shadow corrective services minister Adam Hort said the system was not functioning as intended. “This is what happens when you ignore every flashing warning light,” he said. “West Kimberley was supposed to give Kimberley prisoners a chance at rehabilitation on country. Now it’s overcrowded, crumbling, and on the edge of collapse.” The facility was built as the main custodial facility for inmates in the region, originally designed to house Aboriginal prisoners on country. Mr Smith said inmates from all around WA had been transferred to the facility in a bid to try and limit overcrowding. Inmates on remand who have not been found guilty of crimes are also housed at the facility.