World

Riot at Casuarina Prison in Perth: Seven inmates involved, union warns of severe staffing shortage

Herz — World Desk · 16 July 2026 at 12:22 · 30s summary · 3 min read

The essentials

A major disturbance involving approximately seven inmates erupted on July 16, 2026, in a unit of Casuarina Prison, a maximum-security facility located approximately 40 kilometres south of Perth, Western Australia. A prison officer sustained a minor injury. Specialized response units brought the incident under control and secured all inmates in their cells, according to the Department of Justice. The WA Prison Officers Union has condemned severe understaffing and called for accelerated recruitment. The extent of damage remains contested between authorities and the union.

Approximately seven inmates involved in disturbance on July 16, 2026, at maximum-security Casuarina Prison.
One prison officer sustained minor injury; incident contained within hours.
Damage assessment disputed: union claims 50–60 beds out of service, Department of Justice disputes this.
Union condemns severe understaffing on day of incident; demands accelerated recruitment.
June 2026 official report already highlighted degraded conditions in several Western Australian prisons.

Émeute à la prison de Casuarina à Perth : sept détenus impliqués, syndicat alerte sur le sous-effectif — Atamari, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

What we know

A major disturbance erupted on July 16, 2026, in a unit wing of Casuarina Prison, a maximum-security facility located approximately 40 kilometres south of Perth's city centre, Western Australia. Approximately seven inmates participated, causing significant internal damage.

A prison officer sustained a minor injury. According to a statement from the Department of Justice (Western Australia's state justice department) released Thursday evening, specialized response units—the Special Operations Group and the Prison Response Team—brought the incident under control and secured all inmates in their cells.

Andy Smith, secretary of the WA Prison Officers Union, confirmed that the disturbance was contained within a few hours, but stated that repairs to the damage would take considerable time.

Conflicting accounts of damage extent

The union and authorities offer opposing assessments of the damage. Andy Smith contends that two wings of a unit were "devastated", that water flooded several cells, and that 50 to 60 beds could be rendered unusable.

The Department of Justice, by contrast, asserts that all cells in the unit remain operational. These two accounts cannot be reconciled based on available information.

Understaffing at heart of union concerns

Andy Smith stated that the prison opened on July 16 in a state of understaffing he described as "appalling". The union is calling for accelerated recruitment and improved retention of prison officers.

When asked about these personnel shortages, the Department of Justice did not respond to specific questions.

Context: alarming June 2026 report

In June 2026, the Inspector of Custodial Services—an independent oversight body tasked with inspecting correctional facilities and detention centres in Western Australia—released a report on Hakea, Casuarina, and Melaleuca prisons. It highlighted degraded conditions and noted the absence of growth in prison officer staffing.

The body determined that inmates in the state were subjected to "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment" and that the government had allowed prisons to become "almost fundamentally broken".

cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
— Inspector of Custodial Services (WA), June 2026 report

What remains uncertain

The exact extent of damage caused by the disturbance is directly contested between the union and the Department of Justice. The precise number of affected cells and the duration of repair work remain to be confirmed.

The direct cause of the disturbance has not been specified in available information. The specific operational nature and definition of the Special Operations Group and Prison Response Team in the Western Australian correctional context lack verified definitions from consulted sources; these entities are described functionally as specialized response units.