Special operations group sent to Greenough Regional Prison to transfer inmates in wake of alleged escape plan

WA’s crack prison anti-riot squad came to Geraldton to transfer “high security” inmates in the wake of a reported hostage and escape plot being discovered inside Greenough Regional Prison. Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia was questioned about the alleged plot during Budget estimates in Parliament on Thursday, refusing to comment specifically on it but confirming that the department’s special operations group was sent to Greenough to “escort high security” inmates. “That’s what they were used for, not any response to any incident,” he said. “It’s normal practice . . . depending on the security classification or the nature of the offender being transferred between prisons to use the SOG . . . for high security escorts and that’s what they were used for.” The WA Prison Officers Union claim guards at Greenough gained intel last month that up to nine prisoners were planning a riot and to take at least one hostage in order to break out. WAPOU secretary Andy Smith said the information was reported immediately but the Department of Justice was slow to react. The prisoners in question ended up being transferred to other jails. Mr Smith said this was another example of a system in crisis, saying the prison system was at its “lowest point ever”. Back in 2018, up to 10 inmates escaped from Greenough amid a riot in one of the State’s worst prison breakouts. Shadow corrective services minister Adam Hort said it was “alarming” that Mr Papalia treated this matter as “business as usual” during Budget estimates. “Especially given the 2018 riot where male prisoners broke into the women’s wing and over $2 million in damage was caused,” he said. “The revelation of an alleged hostage plot inside Greenough shows just how much pressure the system is under. It is clear Greenough Prison is under significant stress . . . (it is) overcrowded, understaffed and operating under immense strain.” Department answers to questions in Parliament reveal as at May 31 this year there were 359 prisoners at Greenough, above the jail’s capacity of 346. The prison population at Greenough has jumped by 63 per cent since 2023, during which time its staff allocation has remained the same. The number of prisoners at Greenough has soared by 117 per cent since 2019. Between the same period, the staff allocation rose by 23 per cent. The prison has a staffing shortfall of 25.5 full-time equivalents, while as at June 6, 33 prisoners were sleeping on mattresses on the floor at Greenough. “No one expects prisons to be comfortable, but they do need to work. The Corrective Services Minister needs to do his job and ensure proper staffing, tackle overcrowding, and deliver a prison system that ensures real rehabilitation,” Mr Hort said. “If we don’t fix the system, it’s the public who pays the price.” A Department of Justice spokesperson declined to comment on operational matters “to maintain the security of sites and safety of our staff.” They said the department managed security across all prisons through “intelligence and monitoring”. Mr Papalia acknowledged prison officers “work extremely hard in challenging circumstances to keep the WA community safe”.