New self-care units and visitors' centre at Karnet Prison Farm [Audio]

2/7/99
Attorney General Peter Foss today unveiled the Ministry of Justice's new self-care units and visitors' centre at Karnet Prison Farm.
The $1.94m project - which took nine months to complete on the Serpentine site - aims to help prisoners develop life skills to assist their reintegration into society.
The new facilities are the biggest capital expenditure project at Karnet since its opening in 1963.
"This has been a collaborative effort involving prisoners and prison staff, who volunteered to assist with building the facilities," Mr Foss said.
"Their involvement shaved $204,000 off the budget and allowed the visitors' centre to be added for no additional cost."
Mr Foss said building was completed early with eligible prisoners moving into the self-care units two weeks ahead of schedule. The prison's muster capacity has risen from 146 to 194 - allowing inmates from other prisons to transfer to cells left vacant by prisoners moving into the new self-care units.
The new accommodation at Karnet was another step towards Justice Ministry plans for an extra 370 beds in the State's prisons by the end of 1999.
Over the last 12 months, the Ministry had provided accommodation for an extra 122 beds - not including Karnet's new facility. By the end of 1999, Canning Vale Prison would have increased its muster capacity by 200 beds - and construction of the new 750-bed Acacia Prison at Wooroloo was expected to be complete by mid-2000.
"The new self-care units at Karnet will enable prisoners to develop independent living skills, while the visitors' centre will be used for education activities and family visits," Mr Foss said.
The units house 48 single cells, across four separate wings. They will provide a supervised environment for eligible prisoners to take control of their daily routines.
By cooking their own meals and doing their own cleaning, it will also help them develop the motivation they'll need to function in the outside world.
These responsibilities will give prisoners a feel for everyday life outside the prison and will contribute to successful reintegration into the community.
The new visitors' centre will provide a venue for prisoners to visit with their families on weekends and, during the week, to take education activities which will assist their rehabilitation.
The centre is centrally located within the prison, which allows for more effective supervision and monitoring of visits through a new computerised video system.
"The opportunity to connect with their families and build bridges to the outside world is an important stage of the rehabilitation of prisoners, enabling them to become functional members of society upon release," the Minister said.
Media contact: Chris Morris 9321 2222

"Some of the people we've had through the prison haven't really looked after themselves and that's part of the problem they've had, not being able to look after themselves in society." (20secs/432K)

"Whenever you're dealing with somebody, if you wan to make them trustworthy you've got to give them some trust."(7secs/156K)