Contract signed with private company for management of Acacia Prison.

21/12/99
Western Australia's justice system moved into a new dimension today with the signing of a contract for the State's biggest prison to be managed by a private company.
Describing the contract signing as an historic event, Attorney General and Justice Minister Peter Foss said the privately operated prison was the springboard for a revolution in prisoner custody and rehabilitation.
The contract was signed on the construction site of Acacia Prison, near Wooroloo. The 750-bed medium security prison is scheduled to come into service in the second half of 2000.
"Creating a mixed prison system by introducing private management is not a cost-cutting exercise but a major advance in the State Government's broad-fronted attack on crime and in particular the critical problem of repeat offending," Mr Foss said.
"We have selected a private operator with access to the most effective international remedial programs for prisoners and who also has substantial experience managing prisons in Australia.
"With the signing of this contract, these programs are now available to prisoners in WA.
"The Government believes they are a big step towards breaking the cycle of crime by addressing the causes of repeat offending in a more precise, comprehensive and lasting way - to the benefit of the entire community.
"While the public rightly demands that offenders be punished, it is essential to put imprisonment to positive use because all but a tiny proportion of prisoners are ultimately released.
"Our objective is for prisons to return to the community people who are better equipped and motivated to live without continuing to offend."
The Minister congratulated Corrections Corporation of Australia - whose managing director, Terry Lawson, co-signed the contract with Alan Piper, Director General of the Ministry of Justice - for the way it has integrated custodial and rehabilitation requirements into both Acacia's physical design and operational programs.
"CCA has brought a holistic approach to Acacia," Mr Foss said.
"Drawing on its vast experience in Australia and, through its related companies, in North America and Britain, CCA has designed a prison that will protect the community through advanced security measures, while creating a productive internal atmosphere for remedial programs.
"The programs themselves, which are enshrined in the contract, combine proven world's best practice with thorough research into the unique requirements of WA's prison system.
"There is another vitally important aspect to this new dimension, and that is openness and accountability.
"Planning for a mixed prison system, and especially CCA's willingness to set aside matters that would normally be regarded as commercially sensitive, has enabled me to introduce world-leading reforms in openness.
"More than a year ago, I tabled in Parliament the full details of the Government's requirements for the private operation of Acacia, including the provisions for monitoring compliance with the contract and the penalties for non-compliance.
"Since then, there has been an unprecedented program of briefing and consultation with stakeholders, so that all groups in the community with an interest in the justice system have been fully informed and have had the opportunity to provide input.
"The next step, after today's signing, will be to table the operating contract itself in Parliament. Absolutely everything to do with this prison is out in the open for all to see."
Mr Foss paid tribute to the Australian Democrats for their constructive approach to the legislation enabling the introduction of a mixed public/private prison system in WA.
"Initially they were not in favour of the concept," he said.
"But as they came to understand what the Government was setting out to achieve and took note of the built-in control and accountability measures, they recognised how our proposal would lead to better outcomes for the community.
"In turn, the Government was impressed by the thought and research that had gone into the Democrats' suggestions for additional measures and was able to accommodate all of them.
"The result stands out as a model of effective parliamentary negotiation in which the interests of the community were paramount."

Media contact Chris Morris 9321 2222