Western Australian prisoners are being handed weekly payments of $10.15 in exchange for sleeping on cement floors, as chronic overcrowding pushes the state's prison system to what officers describe as breaking point. The practice has drawn sharp criticism from both the Prison Officers Union and the state opposition, who argue taxpayers are being asked to fund conditions that should not exist in the first place.
Gratuity Payments for Sleeping on Cement
The payments, described officially as gratuities, are being made to inmates who are forced to sleep on the floor due to a lack of adequate cell space. The state government has defended the arrangement, with the responsible minister stating it is "not a new thing" and that the number of prisoners receiving the payment varies from day to day.
But the WA Prison Officers Union has pushed back hard on that characterisation. Union secretary Andy Smith said gratuity payments have traditionally been tied to work performed by prisoners — duties such as cooking and laundering — not compensation for enduring substandard living conditions.
"Taxpayers would be disgusted to know their money was going to prisoners for putting up with conditions that they shouldn't have to experience," Smith said. He went further, describing the situation as "third world."
A Prison System Under Severe Pressure
The overcrowding crisis extends well beyond sleeping arrangements. The union says 17 prison officers are leaving the system every month, a rate that points to a workforce under serious strain. Overcrowding is also being cited as a driver of inmate tension, with the payments understood to be partly intended to reduce the risk of unrest and riots inside facilities.
Adding to community concern, jam-packed prisons are reportedly resulting in some offenders being released early to relieve population pressure — a practice the state opposition says undermines justice for crime victims.
Opposition Calls It a Failure of Government
The state opposition has seized on the payments as evidence that the government has lost control of corrections. Opposition corrective services spokesperson Adam Hort argued the community deserves assurance that the prison system is functioning as it should.
"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," Hort said.
The opposition labelled the system as being "in disrepair," framing the floor-sleeping payments not as routine administration but as a symptom of deeper, systemic failure.
Government Defends Its Approach
Despite the mounting criticism, the state government has indicated it will continue its current management approach. Minister Sabine Winton acknowledged the payments but declined to characterise them as unusual, saying authorities would "continue to manage our prison system" as circumstances require. No announcement of additional capacity or infrastructure investment was made in response to the controversy.
