Prison officer takes own life amid investigation into sexualised bullying and intimidation at Bunbury jail

A prison officer who was a witness in a WorkSafe investigation into sexualised bullying and intimidation at a Bunbury jail has taken his own life. The middle-aged father’s body was found on Friday night. The Department of Justice said it was “deeply saddened by the death of a long-serving officer from Bunbury Regional Prison”. Bunbury Prison is in a race against time to convince WorkSafe that the jail is a safe place to have a job. In March, an investigation by the workplace safety watchdog uncovered institutionalised sexual intimidation. The man who died on Friday night was part of that inquiry. Prison managers failed to meet two deadlines to make wholesale changes and the jail now has until March 31 to comply with WorkSafe’s orders. WorkSafe investigator Louise Coubrough’s “improvement notice” of March 3, 2023, catalogued severe abuse. The department said the officer was not on duty when he died. “The 52-year-old man’s death in Bunbury overnight is now the subject of a coronial investigation,” the department said. “Corrective Services Commissioner Brad Royce has personally extended his heartfelt sympathies to the officer’s family. “Commissioner Royce travelled to Bunbury this morning (Saturday) to provide support for colleagues impacted by the death and to connect staff at the prison to the department’s welfare services. “The WA Police Force has also extended support to the Department by providing access to its chaplaincy services.” Lifeline 13 11 14