- Albany continued to be a best-practice facility. It enjoyed strong and stable leadership, and maintained positive staff and prisoner relations.
- The prison continued to suffer from overcrowding, with 310 prisoners held in a prison designed for 250. Some units were in particularly poor condition. Aboriginal prisoners tended to be placed in the worst of Albany’s overcrowded units.
- Infrastructure for health, education, and industries had not been developed in line with the large population.
- The prison population continued to suffer from a lack of meaningful constructive activity. Aboriginal prisoners in particular suffered from chronic unemployment and underemployment. The prison’s Prisons Aboriginal Service Committee (PASC) and Indigenous Employment Program were promising developments in this regard.
- Educational, health and industrial services were provided by committed and capable staff. However each of these services was hampered by inadequate facilities, and health and education had staffing shortfalls. The health centre required dedicated Aboriginal health staff in particular.
- The prison was providing good support for Aboriginal prisoner’s cultural needs, including work on improving cultural ties, enhancing positive self-identity, challenging negative behavioural patterns, providing pro-social Aboriginal role models, and supporting Aboriginal prisoners’ sense of agency.
- Too many Aboriginal prisoners from remote and regional areas were being held out of country at Albany.
- Foreign nationals felt safe and enjoyed culturally appropriate spiritual care, food, and Skype for social visits. However the Department was preventing some foreign nationals’ remittance-sending to support their dependents.
- The prison continued to enjoy strong community relationships. However, this was hampered in its ability to provide throughcare and re-entry services by the absence of a minimum security facility.
- Albany has maintained its record of effective management of prisoners who have become unmanageable in other facilities. However, their access to services and resources at Albany required improvement.