Why Bunbury Regional Prison has launched an investigation into a guard’s photo of a piece of cake

The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into how a high-resolution picture of the key to the front door of Bunbury Regional Prison was circulated widely. The key to the gatehouse, which houses the jail’s armoury, can be seen clearly in a photo taken by a guard last month. The prison officer was taking a picture of a birthday cake he was eating at his desk when he unwittingly included it in the frame. The recipient of the photo sent the image to others and a copy was obtained by The West Australian. The photograph has been blurred to prevent further security problems after locksmiths warned that it would not take long for a skilled worker to successfully replicate the key after studying the photo. Prison guards are instructed to keep keys out of sight at all times. To add to the headache for prison bosses, the plate of cake was sitting on a pile of Department of Justice paperwork. Confidential information about rostering at the South West jail is now public. A page that can be seen clearly under the plate and which is date stamped January 10 shows the prison had 20 guards at home on workers compensation that day. It also highlights the under-staffing problem at the jail by noting the facility had 22 “vacant lines”. The Department of Justice is looking into the security breach. “This matter has been referred to the People, Standards and Culture (PSC) division within the Department of Justice,” a spokesperson said. “While circulating images of this type are not condoned by the department, preliminary assessments suggest that on this occasion, the image would not be capable of compromising security at the facility.” It is not known whether the guard was entitled to have a phone inside the jail. A Bunbury prison policy document from 2021 which lists unauthorised items for staff includes “any communication device including mobile phones, smart watches with SIM cards allowing connectivity to the internet”. WA Prison Officers Union boss Andy Smith said there was no reason for having a mobile phone in prison. He was also surprised only 20 people were on workers’ compensation given bullying problems at the jail. In March an investigation by the workplace safety watchdog uncovered institutionalised sexual intimidation at the prison.