A Perth based company has been awarded the construction contract to build four new prison units for $96.3 million at Casuarina Prison, Western Australia.
Broad Construction has begun works on two new units which will each house 256 beds and are expected to be complete by the end of 2019.
Almost 900 new beds are expected to be available in WA by 2020 through a new 160-bed unit at Bunbury Regional prison, recommissioning of a closed unit at the prison and cell modifications made throughout the prison estate.
The two remaining units, expected to be completed by early 2020, will include a dedicated alcohol and other drug treatment facility for men.
Upon completion of the drug and alcohol program, the male offenders will return to their units and serve the rest of their sentences.
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WA Corrective Services Minister Francis Logan said the overcrowding in prisons has a knock-on effect to everything throughout WA’s prisons, from the kitchens, sewerage systems and video link facilities to the availability of rehabilitative and reintegration programs.
“By building four new units on the existing Casuarina prison footprint, we can get new beds up and running in a fraction of the time and cost it would take to build a new prison,” Logan said.
“We had to act immediately and I am pleased that we are now breaking ground on units that will not only address the overcrowding, but also provide an innovative approach to tackling the devastating impacts of methamphetamine that often leads to a revolving door of criminal offending.
“The Casuarina bed expansion project is set to benefit local businesses, including suppliers, tradies and subcontractors, ensuring we continue to put Western Australians first where possible.”