Other changes which followed the review of Aboriginal Recruitment included redesigning the selection tests for the position of Prison Officer as the former criteria were considered to be culturally biased against Aboriginal people. The psychological testing of applicants was discontinued for this reason. It is noted that there are no formal requirements for the position of Prison Officer. Also, during the selection process, applicants for the position attend a forty-five minute interview before a panel of three. The interview considers skills and experiences based on the candidates previous employment and life experiences.
Some questions also centre on the candidates attitudes and possible biases towards minority groups.
It is recognised that the role of prison officer may be very difficult for an Aboriginal person. Aboriginal prison officers, no less than Aboriginal inmates, may be subject to tribal obligations such as avoidance relationships and obligation relationships. These may cause great difficulty in the exercise of an officers supervisory and disciplinary role towards those prisoners with whom they have a family or skin relationship. An Aboriginal Prison Officer currently employed at Broome Regional Prison but who is from the Eastern Goldfields area, informed the Commission that when she formerly worked at Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison many of the prisoners there were related to her. She stated that that had made some aspects of her job, such as giving instructions difficult.