[2] The union acts as a collective body to serve its registered members across both the private and public prison facilities.

This includes engagement with government proceedings and media coverage involving issues that impact or are affiliated with prison affairs and controversies.

These campaigns include matters such as overcrowding,[4] staff safety, privatisation,[3] and mental health support for officers.

[5] The union has a social media presence,[6] which utilizes mass communication to reach out to both members and the wider public that may share an interest in prison affairs in Western Australia.

In the event of an individual wanting to end their membership, a written resignation is required with 14 days notice.

[9] Entrance fees and contributions are calculated based on the annual salary and employment plans of individual members and paid accordingly fortnightly.

The fortnightly contribution of the POFBF is decided upon in the WAPOU annual general meeting (AGM) led by the executive members of the union.

[5] Services such as legal aid and psychologists were incorporated into Western Australian prison stays for offenders.

[5] Prison officers within the public system are restricted in their ability to voice concerns that may arise within their employment.

The union as a collective body can refute this act and speak on behalf of its members as prison officers and discuss usually barred conversations.

[3] In 2016 the WAPOU placed a formal enquiry for the state government to investigate the prison population within Western Australia with concerns of overcrowding and poor staff to offender ratio, WA Today reported that maximum security prisons in WA are frequently understaffed by 40 officers daily.

[16] An independent investigation was conducted by the Office Inspector of Custodial Services into WAPOU's enquiry, the report found that as of 30 June 2016, Western Australian prisons were at 148% of their design capacity.

[13] The union's long standing social media campaign, "Respect the Risk" was created in 2014 as a response to the mass staffing shortage within both the Casuarina and Hakea prisons.

The two prisons were forced into lockdown, where inmates were locked in cells for up to 20 hours a day due to the facilities being short staffed.

[23] The Court Security and Custodial Services Act, WA was passed in 1999, enabling the employment of private prison transportation.

[24] Since 2000, WAPOU has released various statements to the state government regarding their opposition to the privatisation of prison transport,[25] covering topics of concern such as failure to provide services resulting in last minute cancellations to hospital appointments and late arrivals which impact the schedules of prisoner intake.

[28] The union has face wider criticism from governing bodies within Western Australian as having too much operational power over any decisions associated with reform of prison facilities.

[18] This agreement does not extend to prisons within private system, reducing the operating decision power of the union.