An announcement earlier this year by the NSW government to make changes to the state’s prison system has sparked outrage and prompted strike action by prison officers last week. The changes, due to take effect in September, include closing two more maximum security wings ay Goulburn Correctional Centre, dating back to the 1880s, and facilities at Silverwater Women’s Correctional Centre the government says that they no longer meet modern safety standards. Silverwater Women’s Correctional Centre was built in 1969 and has been criticised for its dilapidated accommodation cells that contain ligature points. Staff at Junee Correctional Centre joined their peers in the statewide strike against the NSW government’s plan to close the two maximum security wings at Goulburn Correctional Centre. Minister for Corrections, Anoulack Chanthivong said that community safety is this government’s top priority. “It is for this reason that we are retiring these Victorian era facilities and investing in modern, secure and fit-for-purpose correctional centres,” Mr Chanthivong said. “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. “These changes strengthen our system and keep the community and staff safe.” At the heart of the dispute is ongoing concerns around staffing shortages, inmate management, and officer safety across the broader corrections system. Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said the industrial action by Corrective Services staff was yet another sign the corrections system is in crisis under the Minister for Corrections’ failed leadership. “Last week’s statewide walkout is a damning indictment of a Minister who has completely lost control of his portfolio,” Ms Cooke said. “When corrections officers across the state feel forced to walk off the job because they are not being listened to, it demonstrates a complete breakdown in communication and leadership.” “The best decision this Minister could make right now, in the interest of this state, is to hand in his resignation.” Ms Cooke said the situation was particularly concerning for communities like Junee, where it remains unclear whether the local prison will be absorbing displaced inmates. “Following the de-privatisation of Junee Jail, which is another example of the Minister's lack of consultation, staff vacancies still remain a genuine concern,” Ms Cooke said. “Across the system, morale is collapsing, and yet the Minister appears incapable of providing certainty or stability to the people working on the frontline.” “A Minister who doesn’t respect consultation, who can’t negotiate in good faith, and who refuses to work with the communities where his decisions are having real impact shouldn’t be in the role.” Commissioner of Corrective Services NSW, Gary McCahon said that the department was committed to ensuring 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. “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,” Mr McCahon said. “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.”
