WA mega-department slammed for lack of leadership as issues grow
SOURCE:ABC Australia|BY:Keane Bourke
A wide-ranging review into Western Australia's Justice Department finds that "forward planning is often overshadowed by immediate operational demands" which means it fails to address rising pressures like prison overcrowding.
Western Australia's Justice Department is struggling to address growing pressures in the state's prisons and courts because it is too reactive and leaders are too distracted to plan for the future, according to a scathing review.
The mega-department, which employs nearly 8,500 staff, is responsible for everything from the state's prisons and courts to registering births, deaths and marriages.
A summary of the wide-ranging six-month review was quietly released by the state's Public Sector Commission a week before Christmas.
A public summary of the review said "forward planning is often overshadowed by immediate operational demands", and that inefficient processes are "distracting the agency's leadership from more strategic matters".
It found addressing rising pressures — including prison overcrowding — required "strategic leadership and coordinated reform" but gave little hope the department could achieve that.
A reactive approach has not helped the issue of overcrowding in WA prisons, the review found. (Supplied: Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services)
"Bottlenecks in prison based treatment and assessment programs and a lack of transitional housing are inhibiting eligible prisoners from meeting parole requirements, contributing to growing prison population and overcrowding," a public summary of the review reads.
"The agency is largely reactive in managing these pressures which has created a cycle of short-term responses that do not address the root causes of systemic stress."
'Inconsistent priorities' of teams who do not work together
The review suggested that was, in part, because the department has "not fully embraced" its role in taking leadership over the 'justice pipeline', stretching from police arrests to reintegration after prison sentences.
That lack of planning extends to the department's own work as well, the review noted, finding "inconsistent priorities" and a failure of teams across the department to routinely work together — in addition to a failure to plan for the workforce it needs in the future.
The report found that different departments within WA do not always work together. (AAP: Jono Searle)
"It is neither coordinated and informed by a strategic plan nor aligned with current and emerging service demands," the summary reads.
"The agency should shift from a reactive to a proactive approach."
There was also criticism of the support the department provides to courts, and that while it had "extensive data" available, it was not used strategically to anticipate future pressures.
'Significant work' has started on key priorities
A "fair, inclusive and sustainable" justice system is what Brad Royce says he is working towards. (ABC News: James Carmody)
Acting Director General Brad Royce told the ABC the review "reflects both our strengths and the challenges we face".
"We are committed to driving reform, strengthening governance and helping to build a justice system that is fair, inclusive and sustainable," he said in a statement.
"Importantly, we have not waited for the review's findings — significant work is already underway on key priorities."
A spokesperson said that included developing a department-wide strategic plan as well as efforts to "improve case flow, reduce demand and enhance infrastructure capacity in courts".
"Corrective Services is addressing the rising prison population through the launch of a long-term custodial infrastructure plan, immediate increases in the number of beds in key facilities and a comprehensive recruitment campaign to attract 1,200 new prison officers over the next three years," she said in a statement.
"Workforce planning is being strengthened, including strategies to address challenges in regional areas,"
she said.
That work was necessary because the review had identified: "Workforce challenges are undermining service delivery and long-term strategic goals".
New strategy aims to reduce compensation claims
The WA government hopes to recruit 1,200 new prison officers by 2029. (Supplied: Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services)
The review also identified "limited evidence of innovation and continuous improvement" and "little progress … in addressing rising workers' compensation claims".
The department spokesperson said it was actively looking at ways to better make use of data, and was hoping to reduce workers' compensation claims through a new strategy.
One of the few positives the review identified was work done to improve conditions in the state's youth detention system after years of crisis, and efforts to strengthen relationships outside the department.
"Under the leadership of the Director General and Commissioner for Corrective Services, the agency is shifting to one that values openness, accountability and transparency," it found.
A new way of running youth detention was "particularly commended" by the otherwise critical report, noting the department is "making progress in a complex and challenging environment".
Aboriginal Justice Open Days, which provide culturally-safe ways to organise official documentation — as well as the Solid Steps drug and alcohol addiction program — were also commended for showing how government and non-government agencies can work together.
Victims of crime 'paying the price' for failures
Adam Hort says the WA prison system is operating "in emergency mode". (ABC News: Courtney Withers)
Opposition Justice spokesperson, Adam Hort, said the review made clear problems in the Justice Department were a result of "a leadership failure at the very top", with a lack of "strategic direction and coordinated leadership".
"This independent review now confirms there is no whole of agency strategic plan, no workforce plan, and no unified approach being driven from the top," he said in a statement.
"The result is a prison system operating in emergency mode, with victims of crime paying the price for failed leadership."
WA Prison Officers Union secretary Andy Smith said the report was not surprising.
Prison officers are being paid "a pittance", the WA Prison Officers Union says. (Supplied: Department of Justice)
"Everything that is creating the crisis that we're in at the moment was predictable, and it should be equally as predictable what is necessary to get us out of this problem," he said.
"[Prison officers are] frontline workers and they're being paid a pittance. We need to attract people into the job, we need to pay them accordingly for what they do and that way we keep them.
"Secondly, the government need to recognise they need to build a new prison."
Mr Smith said the fundamental issue in the management of the state's prisons was Corrective Services sitting with the Department of Justice, rather than being its own agency.
"We've seen all the decisions in the hands of accountants who would much rather not make a decision because they could save $3 over here, and it's ridiculous,"