We acknowledge the age of the Victorian Era cells and infrastructure.  However, reforms by Corrective Services NSW, including Benchmarking and Prison Bed Adjustment Capacity Program PBCAP, have led to reduced frontline staffing, increased inmate violence, higher workers’ compensation claims and sick leave, more inmate lock-ins, and a growing budget deficit of over $170 million.

These impacts have contributed to the announced closure of Goulburn Correctional Centre and Silverwater Women’s Correctional Centre, adversely affecting both staff and the local communities.

We do not accept the closure of Goulburn Correctional Centre, this closure will impact not only on staff at Goulburn but the wider community.

The long forgotten female system is in dire need of repair. Silverwater Women’s Correctional Centre has, since its inception, bore the brunt of the worst women in custody have to offer. They have huge levels of self-harm, inmate non associations and the highest rate of staff assaults in the state. With the news that Silverwater Women’s is closing management have offered little to no plans of how or where the mental health or behavioural inmates will be rehoused, or what they will do to curb the rates of self-harm and staff assaults.

Mary Wade has been informed that they will transition back to a female cohort with no idea of what classification or programs will be run there.

Dillwynia are now in for a massive change becoming the primary women’s facility. They do not have the facilities or staff to receive fresh custody inmates, house mental health or behavioural inmates, category 5 or the large levels of RIT inmates that will now be coming their way.

While Silverwater have been informed of the change, Mary Wade and Dillwynia have been left out of any major communications or consultation.

What’s needed is an investment in Operational Reforms, not closures.

The Inmate population is currently 14200 and continues to climb.

Over the coming weeks, we will be meeting with your delegates and discussing the path forward and will keep you updated.