Greenough Regional Prison is an Australian
prison
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...
located in
Narngulu, a suburb of
Geraldton
Geraldton (Wajarri: ''Jambinu'', Wilunyu: ''Jambinbirri'') is a coastal city in the Mid West region of the Australian state of Western Australia, north of the state capital, Perth.
At June 2018, Geraldton had an urban population of 37,648. ...
, Western Australia. The prison was opened in 1984 and had an operational capacity of 328 as of November 2012.
The prison houses prisoners from around the
Mid West
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...
region, including a large proportion of
Aboriginal
Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to:
*Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology
* Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area
*One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...
prisoners.
A mix of maximum (remand), medium and minimum security prisoners are held at Greenough, including 25 female prisoners, with two cells available for mothers and babies and a minimum security facility that houses 36 male prisoners.
Six allegedly
drunk
Alcohol intoxication, also known as alcohol poisoning, commonly described as drunkenness or inebriation, is the negative behavior and physical effects caused by a recent consumption of alcohol. In addition to the toxicity of ethanol, the main ps ...
prisoners escaped from the facility in 1989 after throwing mattresses over
razor wire
Barbed tape or razor wire is a mesh of metal strips with sharp edges whose purpose is to prevent passage by humans. The term "razor wire", through long usage, has generally been used to describe barbed tape products. Razor wire is much sharper th ...
and climbing over. The prisoners had secretly brewed the alcohol in the prison and consumed it prior to their escape.
Two prisoners escaped from the minimum security section of the prison in 2008 after digging their way out under a
security fence
A fence is a structure that encloses an area, typically outdoors, and is usually constructed from posts that are connected by boards, wire, rails or netting. A fence differs from a wall in not having a solid foundation along its whole length.
...
using a pool cue and a dust pan.
A report released in 2010 on conditions in the prison found that conditions were degrading with
overcrowding
Overcrowding or crowding is the condition where more people are located within a given space than is considered tolerable from a safety and health perspective. Safety and health perspectives depend on current environments and on local cultural n ...
, forcing up to three inmates to share cells that were designed to hold one. At the time the prison was designed to hold a total population of 219 had was found to have 260 inmates being housed. Bunk beds used at the facility were found to be a safety risk.
Marlon Noble was held at Greenough for 10 years without being charged with a crime; he was released in 2012. Later the same year three
prison officer
A prison officer or corrections officer is a uniformed law enforcement official responsible for the custody, supervision, safety, and regulation of prisoners. They are responsible for the care, custody, and control of individuals who have been ...
s were injured when attempting to break up a fight between thrill killer
Valerie Parashumti and another inmate. Parashumti attempted to escape in 2013 and managed to breach at least one fence before being recaptured and moved to a management cell. On 24 July 2018, ten prisoners escaped from the facility.
References
External links
Greenough Regional Prison – Department of Corrective Services{{WesternAustralianPrisons
Prisons in Western Australia
1984 establishments in Australia