Taxpayers are funding a weekly payment to prisoners in Western Australia who are forced to sleep on the floor due to chronic overcrowding. The state's opposition says the payments prove the government has lost control of the prison system, which it claims is "in disrepair."
Payments for sleeping on cement
Convicts are receiving $10.15 per week in exchange for sleeping on cement floors. The payments are intended to ease inmate tension caused by overcrowding and prevent riots.
WA Prison Officers Union secretary Andy Smith expressed outrage, saying, "Taxpayers would be disgusted to know their money was going to prisoners for putting up with conditions that they shouldn't have to experience."
Government defends payments as normal
The state government insists the gratuity payments are standard practice. WA government minister Sabine Winton said, "It's not a new thing. The number of prisoners that receive it varies from day to day and we'll continue to manage our prison system."
The union disputes this, noting that prisoners normally receive payments for work such as cooking and cleaning clothes, not for enduring what they call "inhumane conditions." Smith described the situation as "third world."
Prison system at breaking point
The union reports that WA's prison system is at a critical point, with 17 prison officers resigning every month. Overcrowding has also led to early release of criminals to relieve pressure.
Opposition spokesperson for corrective services Adam Hort said, "Victims of crime deserve justice and Western Australians deserve to know that they have a prison system that is working to keep the community safe."
