Prison Industries and Prisoner Employment Program

⁠⁠⁠Department of Justice - Problem and Opportunity Statement

Prison Industries

Problem

Prison Industries represents an integral part of the Western Australian Prison system, providing a diverse range of employment and training opportunities for offenders, while also producing goods and services which reduce the cost of incarceration and contribute to the ongoing sustainability of the custodial estate.

Over recent years the infrastructure, equipment, and facilities supporting Prison Industries have increasingly become aged, outdated, and in need of investment in order to maintain productivity and ensure prisoners are provided with current and transferable skills on release.  In addition, the estate’s ability to invest in the identification and development of new industries has been impacted due to these pressures on existing industries.

Opportunity

The Department of Justice (Justice) is seeking an opportunity to partner with private sector to develop and implement solutions which:

• Invest in infrastructure, equipment, and facilities to increase the efficiency, productivity, and profitability of existing prison industries;
• Create employment opportunities, both within the community and for prisoners in custody, and which provide benefits to prisoners through upskilling and providing pathways to employment post-release;
• Explore the implementation of new prison industries; and
• Propose any other innovations which may positively impact community safety through prison industries.

The Department is encouraging all Proposals from the private sector on how to better utilise our prison industries. 

Examples of potential opportunities for private investment and collaborative operation may include:

• Food production and processing, i.e.

                        Dairy (milk production and packing)
                        Abattoir
                        Yoghurt and cheese manufacturing
                        Egg laying (production and packing)
                        Orchards

• Provision of Facility Management/Maintenance
• Recycling of waste products
• Product assembly and disassembly
• Pre-fabrication/Construction i.e. demountable buildings and structures
• Metal and/or wood shop manufacturing
• Nursery production
• Laundry services
• Clothing/textile production
• Printing and Signage

What are Problem and Opportunity Statements?

• POS are a flexible mechanism released by the Minister for Finance in March 2020 within the revised Market-led Proposals (MLP) Policy.
• POS allow government to provide focussed opportunities, inviting industry to respond with innovative solutions.
• POS effectively replace Stage 1 of the MLP process and will be assessed against the criteria of the MLP Policy
• POS retain the rigour and independence of an evaluation process supported by the probity principles of the MLP Policy.
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POS Assessment Criteria

POS are addressed against five criteria of the MLP Policy:

• Strategic alignment – proposals align with government policy objectives and priorities.
• Public interest – proposals have significant social, environmental, economic or financial benefits for Western Australians.
• Value for money – proposals represent value for money for Western Australians and are affordable in the context of budget priorities.
• Feasibility and capability of being delivered – proposals are feasible and the proponent has the financial and technical capacity, capability and experience to deliver the outcomes successfully.
• Risk - any financial, reputational, political, and/or security risks to government from the proposal are acceptable and there is an appropriate allocation of risk between the proponent and government.

Proposal Requirements

In addition to the specified MLP assessment requirements, the Department requests that Proposals address the following:

1. Details of relevant industry experience, including any public private collaborative arrangements, or experience in a custodial, or similar, setting.  The following details are to be provided for each:

                    a. start and end date
                    b. contract value
                    c. description of arrangement
                    d. nominated referee contact details

         2. Details of proposed key personnel, including Curriculum Vitae and proportional allocation to the Proposal;

         3. High-level Methodology including:
                    a. Nature of proposed arrangement, including details of any assumptions made;
                    b. Expected outcomes, including both private sector and prisoner job creation;
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