$93m Derby prison

DERBY has been chosen by the state government as the site for a new prison as part of about $115 million spending on corrective services in the Kimberley. Corrective Services Minister Margaret Quirk said the $93 million prison would deliver significant improvements in working and living conditions for both staff and prisoners. The minister said modern security technology would be incorporated into the design, with community safety the number one priority. The new facility would have a design capacity of 150 beds, 84 more than Broome prison, and was expected to be operational in 2011. The minister also announced that a new $10.8 million prisoner work camp was being planned for the region, as well as $11.2 million on upgrades to the existing Broome prison, which will remain in operation as a correctional facility, even after the Derby prison opens.