‘Tragic Failure’: WA Prison System Blasted for ‘Reprehensible’ Delays That Led to Inmate’s Death by Suicide
- A 41-year-old prisoner died by suicide in Bunbury Regional Prison in 2024 due to ‘demonstrably poor’ supervision and chronic understaffing.
- Corey Desmond Devree was left alone in the prison’s paint workshop despite struggling with mental health issues and awaiting treatment assessment for over nine months.
- The WA Prison Officers’ Union claims the prison system’s reliance on underqualified staff, including vocational support officers, is a symptom of a deeper problem.
- The state budget has allocated $21.2 million to address staffing issues, but the union says more needs to be done to prevent similar tragedies.
The death of Corey Desmond Devree is a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of a prison system in crisis.
Devree, a 41-year-old inmate at Bunbury Regional Prison, took his own life in October 2024 while serving a 28-month sentence for family and domestic violence offences.
An inquest into his death has revealed a disturbing pattern of neglect and incompetence that led to his tragic demise. Devree’s struggles with mental health were well-documented, and he had been waiting for over nine months for a treatment assessment.
Yet, on the day of his death, he was left alone in the prison’s paint workshop, unsupervised and vulnerable. The vocational support officer (VSO) tasked with monitoring him was stationed in the metal shop across the courtyard, with limited visibility of the paint shop.
When the VSO closed the large double doors to the paint shop during a heavy downpour, Devree was effectively cut off from any meaningful supervision.
The WA Prison Officers’ Union has been scathing in its criticism of the prison system, citing chronic understaffing and a reliance on underqualified staff as major contributing factors to Devree’s death.
Union Secretary Andy Smith said that VSOs, who are trained to teach trades rather than supervise prisoners, should not have been tasked with monitoring inmates. “Prison officers are trained to recognise anything from secretion of drugs to the way prisoners interact…
taught how to respond to violent acts, respond to suicides,” Smith said. “VSOs are trained in a totally different way.”
The inquest into Devree’s death has highlighted the need for urgent reform within the WA prison system.
The coroner’s findings describe the delays in Devree’s treatment assessment as “reprehensible” and the supervision he received on the day of his death as “demonstrably poor”.
The Department of Justice has acknowledged the backlog of treatment assessments, with over 1,100 prisoners waiting for evaluation across the state.
Analysis: What This Means for AustraliaThe tragic death of Corey Desmond Devree is a wake-up call for the WA prison system and the broader community.
The reliance on underqualified staff and chronic understaffing is a ticking time bomb, waiting to unleash devastating consequences.
The allocation of $21.2 million in the state budget to address staffing issues is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to prevent similar tragedies.
The WA Prison Officers’ Union is calling for increased funding and resources to address the systemic issues plaguing the prison system.
The union argues that the use of VSOs to supervise prisoners is a symptom of a deeper problem – a lack of trained and experienced prison officers.
As the union’s Secretary Andy Smith noted, “You can’t just put a prisoner in a workshop with a VSO and expect them to be safe.”
Security analysts say that the WA prison system’s failures have serious implications for community safety.
“When prisoners are not receiving the support and treatment they need, they are more likely to reoffend upon release,” said one analyst.
“This not only puts the community at risk but also perpetuates a cycle of violence and recidivism.”
In the aftermath of Devree’s death, the WA government must take immediate action to address the systemic issues plaguing the prison system.
This includes increasing funding for staffing, training, and resources, as well as implementing policies to ensure that prisoners receive timely and effective treatment. The community demands nothing less.
In the words of Devree’s family, “His death was preventable, and we hope that no other family has to go through what we’re going through.” It is a sentiment that echoes the concerns of the WA Prison Officers’ Union and the broader community.
The time for action is now.
The death of Corey Desmond Devree is a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of a prison system in crisis. Devree, a 41-year-old inmate at Bunbury Regional Prison, took his own life in October 2024 while serving a 28-month sentence for family and domestic violence offences. An inquest into his death has revealed a disturbing pattern of neglect and incompetence that led to his tragic demise.
Devree’s struggles with mental health were well-documented, and he had been waiting for over nine months for a treatment assessment. Yet, on the day of his death, he was left alone in the prison’s paint workshop, unsupervised and vulnerable. The vocational support officer (VSO) tasked with monitoring him was stationed in the metal shop across the courtyard, with limited visibility of the paint shop. When the VSO closed the large double doors to the paint shop during a heavy downpour, Devree was effectively cut off from any meaningful supervision.
The WA Prison Officers’ Union has been scathing in its criticism of the prison system, citing chronic understaffing and a reliance on underqualified staff as major contributing factors to Devree’s death. Union Secretary Andy Smith said that VSOs, who are trained to teach trades rather than supervise prisoners, should not have been tasked with monitoring inmates. “Prison officers are trained to recognise anything from secretion of drugs to the way prisoners interact… taught how to respond to violent acts, respond to suicides,” Smith said. “VSOs are trained in a totally different way.”
The inquest into Devree’s death has highlighted the need for urgent reform within the WA prison system. The coroner’s findings describe the delays in Devree’s treatment assessment as “reprehensible” and the supervision he received on the day of his death as “demonstrably poor”. The Department of Justice has acknowledged the backlog of treatment assessments, with over 1,100 prisoners waiting for evaluation across the state.
The tragic death of Corey Desmond Devree is a wake-up call for the WA prison system and the broader community. The reliance on underqualified staff and chronic understaffing is a ticking time bomb, waiting to unleash devastating consequences. The allocation of $21.2 million in the state budget to address staffing issues is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to prevent similar tragedies.
The WA Prison Officers’ Union is calling for increased funding and resources to address the systemic issues plaguing the prison system. The union argues that the use of VSOs to supervise prisoners is a symptom of a deeper problem – a lack of trained and experienced prison officers. As the union’s Secretary Andy Smith noted, “You can’t just put a prisoner in a workshop with a VSO and expect them to be safe.”
Security analysts say that the WA prison system’s failures have serious implications for community safety. “When prisoners are not receiving the support and treatment they need, they are more likely to reoffend upon release,” said one analyst. “This not only puts the community at risk but also perpetuates a cycle of violence and recidivism.”
In the aftermath of Devree’s death, the WA government must take immediate action to address the systemic issues plaguing the prison system. This includes increasing funding for staffing, training, and resources, as well as implementing policies to ensure that prisoners receive timely and effective treatment. The community demands nothing less.
In the words of Devree’s family, “His death was preventable, and we hope that no other family has to go through what we’re going through.” It is a sentiment that echoes the concerns of the WA Prison Officers’ Union and the broader community. The time for action is now.
