PRISONERS
— MENTAL HEALTH
994. Hon PETER COLLIER to
the minister representing the Minister for Corrective Services:
I refer to Human Rights Watch's
report '''He's Never Coming Back' People with
Disabilities Dying in Western Australia's Prisons'', which states
that 60 per cent of adults who died in the state's prisons had a disability,
including mental health issues.
(1) Over the past
four months, how many prisoners have attempted to self-harm or commit suicide
in Western Australian prisons?
(2) Over the past
four months, how many prisoners have been treated for mental health conditions?
(3) Have there
been any deaths in custody over the past three months, and what mental health
processes have been put in place to address the system's inadequacies?
Hon SUE
ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. On behalf of the Minister for Environment
representing the Minister for Corrective Services, I advise the following. I note
that this is a long answer, so I will endeavour to take that up with the
minister as well.
(1) The following instances of self-harm and attempted
suicide have been reported—only adults—five attempted
suicides and 170 instances of self-harm.
(2) Patients
diagnosed with primary mental health issues within corrective services are
addressed by general practitioners—for example, for assessment and
medication. Major mental illness is a serious mental illness requiring
secondary intervention—for example, referral to a consultant
psychiatrist and ongoing treatment by a specialised
mental health clinical team. Prisoners suffering from an MMI are assessed under
the psychiatric priorities rating scale. A P rating is allocated according to
acuity and treatment needs, from P1, being the most serious, to P3, being a stable
condition needing continuing treatment. In the previous four months the
following number of prisoners with an MMI were treated by corrective services. In May 2020, 716 prisoners; in June 2020, 813
prisoners; in July 2020, 783 prisoners; and in August 2020, 819
prisoners were listed against a P rating. Figures for each month or subsequent
months may capture the same patient on more than one occasion because their
acuity may change.
The psychological health services
provide a service to all other prisoners presenting with mental health issues
requiring support by individual counselling and group interventions. These
prisoners may or may not have been diagnosed
with a mental illness. Corrective services does not record definitive numbers
of the variance of acuity of mental health issues requiring primary and/or
secondary interventions in an easily accessible way. To calculate this figure
would be an onerous process and take significant human resources.
(3) In the
last three years, the following developments have occurred within corrective
services in order to improve our service delivery to those with mental illness
in prisons. They include the establishment of a
dedicated mental health, alcohol and other drugs branch, bringing together
mental health, alcohol and other drugs
nursing, consultant psychiatrists, psychological health services and prison
support services, including Aboriginal
visitors, under one structure to provide greater governance and drive service
development. A mental health review was conducted in 2019 with 15
recommendations. These recommendations are being progressed and finalised in
consultation with key stakeholders, including Aboriginal prisoners. In 2018, an
alcohol and other drugs rehabilitation prison was opened in the women's
estate. A male alcohol and other drug
rehabilitation program will open in October 2020 at Casuarina Prison. An
additional 50 FTE has been dedicated
to mental health, alcohol and other drug services over the last three years. A suicide
prevention task force has recently been established to specifically address
serious self-harm and suicide. The task force will review all ongoing
operational practices within external members. Four workstreams have been
identified: inputs, jurisdictional scanning and research; governance; an
intervention team; and through care.