The Department of Justice says the rollout will begin at Casuarina and Hakea prisons in October 2026 before extending to Bandyup, Melaleuca and Albany prisons.
More than 500 cameras across five adult prisons
Frontline prison officers will wear the cameras to capture vision and audio of incidents. The Department says the recordings will complement fixed CCTV and be securely managed as digital evidence.
The expansion follows the use of the same camera model by Youth Custodial Officers since 2024. Casuarina and Hakea are first in the staged rollout, followed by Bandyup, Melaleuca and Albany.
A contemporaneous record can help establish what happened
The Department says body-worn cameras can help de-escalate incidents, reduce conflict and provide an objective record. Reliable recordings may assist reviews of critical incidents and support transparency for both staff and people in custody.
A recording is still evidence—not an automatic conclusion. Its timing, completeness, context, secure retention and lawful availability can affect how fairly an incident is assessed.
Protect
Technology should improve safety for prison staff, people in custody and visitors.
Preserve
Relevant recordings should be securely retained with a clear and accountable chain of custody.
Examine
Footage should be considered independently, in context and alongside all other relevant evidence.
Better records should strengthen fair process
Justice Before Judgment supports practical tools that protect genuine victims, improve accountability and help decision-makers examine what actually occurred. The same safeguards should operate fairly for everyone affected by an incident.
Public confidence will depend on clear activation rules, secure storage, appropriate access, independent review and consequences when evidence is mishandled. The official release announces the rollout but does not set out all of those operational safeguards.
Fairness needs reliable evidence.
Read the campaign explainer, then add your support if you agree that safety, accountability and fair process must work together.
Source note: This update summarises an official WA Department of Justice release and adds clearly labelled campaign commentary. It is general public information, not legal advice.