Junee Correctional Centre commences under Corrective Services NSW management
At 6:00pm tonight, 31 March, Corrections staff in Junee become public sector employees as control of the gaol is handed to Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW).
After decades of relentless privatisation, this is welcome news.
Junee Correctional Centre opened in 1993 as the first private prison in NSW and has been operated by GEO until today. The PSA acknowledges the outstanding work that Junee non-custodial staff have performed daily, operating under private management with fewer staff and lower wages.
Prior to the NSW elections, the PSA Executive engaged with the now NSW Labor Government to advocate for Junee and Parklea Correctional Centres to return to public operation. The PSA invited Chris Minns to speak with members and sought a commitment to this transition as part of an election promise.
The PSA has since continued to remind the Premier of his commitment through the “No Prisons for Profit” campaign, which has been instrumental in securing today’s milestone—the transition of Junee Correctional Centre to public operation. This marks a significant moment as NSW sees a private prison move to public operation for the first time. The PSA thanks Mr Minns for fulfilling this commitment.
The NSW Government also recently announced that Parklea Correctional Centre will return to public operation in October 2026. These announcements are significant achievements for the PSA and the broader correctional community.
The PSA has always said no prisons for profit. With today’s handover, and the handover in Parklea to follow, we are well on the way of ending our state’s misguided obsession with privatisation.
Corrective Services NSW has commenced a recruitment drive for Junee Correctional Centre to ensure safe staffing levels support the centre’s transition to full capacity.
We will be organising PSA meetings at the centre with details to follow and we look forward to working with our members in Junee CC as they integrate into the CSNSW framework.