A major disturbance occurred on Thursday, July 16th, 2026, at Casuarina Prison, located roughly 40 kilometres south of Perth’s central business district. The incident involved about seven prisoners who caused significant internal damage to the prison’s unit wing, according to preliminary reports from the Department of Justice.

WA Prison Officers Union secretary Andy Smith reported that two wings of a prison unit were "trashed" and several cells were flooded with water. This damage could render up to 50 or 60 beds out of action, impacting the facility’s capacity. Smith noted that the disturbance was quelled within a couple of hours but repairs will take time.

A prison officer was injured during the disturbance. Officers from the Special Operations Group and the Prison Response Team intervened to resolve the incident and secured all prisoners back in their cells.

The Department of Justice confirmed the disturbance in a statement issued on Thursday night, emphasizing the coordinated response to restore order at the facility.

Location

Casuarina Prison is Western Australia’s maximum-security prison, situated approximately 40 kilometres south of Perth’s CBD.

Impact

  • Approximately seven prisoners involved
  • Significant damage to two wings of a unit
  • Water inundated several cells
  • Up to 60 beds potentially out of service
  • One prison officer injured

Response

Quotes

"Preliminary reports indicate about seven prisoners caused a disturbance this afternoon in their unit wing at Casuarina Prison," the Department of Justice said.

"That could leave anything up to 50 or 60 beds out of action," said Andy Smith.

"Officers from the Special Operations Group and Prison Response Team resolved the incident, securing all prisoners in their cells."

Sources