Prison facilities dating back to the late 1800s at Goulburn, along with ageing facilities at Silverwater Women’s Correctional Centre, will be retired under changes designed to make conditions safer for inmates and Corrective Services NSW staff, the NSW Government has announced.
The changes form part of a broader investment in the correctional system, with the Government planning to bring more beds online and frontline staffing positions into public hands, including the ability to scale up in other prisons around the state when required.
The Government says Correctional services will continue to operate from Goulburn and Silverwater, with the changes to impact outdated wings and units, some of which date back more than a century and no longer meet modern safety standards.
“As inmate numbers rise, we are ensuring our staff have the safest possible workplaces and that those in custody are housed in facilities that meet contemporary standards,” said Minister for Corrections, Anoulack Chanthivong.
“These changes strengthen our system and keep the community and staff safe.”
The Minister said the changes will ensure all affected staff are presented with opportunities for redeployment to equivalent positions within Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW), with incentives on offer for those who may wish to relocate.
Silverwater Women’s Correctional Centre was built in 1969 and has been criticised for its dilapidated accommodation cells that contain ligature points, while Goulburn Correctional Centre’s maximum-security accommodation wings opened in 1884 and are among the oldest custodial infrastructure still in use in NSW. It currently houses two specialist units – the Mental Health Screening Unit and Mum Shirl Unit – which will be moved to Dillwynia Correctional Centre and expanded.
Silverwater Women’s Correctional Centre will continue to operate as an intake and reception centre for processing women into custody.
“We’re committed to ensuring our correctional facilities are in the best condition and have the functional capabilities to meet our high operational standards – and part of that is taking some of the state’s oldest beds offline,” said Commissioner of Corrective Services NSW, Gary McCahon PSM.
“After reviewing prisons around the state, we decided these reforms to our prison infrastructure are necessary to bring the system in-line with our focus on operating safe, secure and humane prisons that provide better working conditions for our officers too.
“Crucially, these changes will allow us to move high-needs female inmates from Silverwater Women’s to modern accommodation units at Dillwynia Correctional Centre – ensuring our most at-risk women are in specialised, up-to-date facilities.”
The Government says the changes will come into effect operationally by the end of September.
