Media release: Overcrowding: the impacts of a rising inmate population

20 April 2015

The Inspector of Custodial Services has today released a report into the NSW prison system looking at the impact of overcrowding in prisons.

An inspection was carried out at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre at Silverwater, Parklea Correctional Centre, and the Metropolitan Special Programs Centre at Long Bay.

Inspector of Custodial Services John Paget said prisoner numbers have been rising steadily to a new high of 11,643 on 5 April, well in excess of system design capacity.

“Corrective Services is operating under a combination of conditions which have the potential to create a dysfunctional, if not dangerous, custodial environment”, he said.

“As the number of prisoners continues to grow, this and other pressures, are placing the prison system under great strain.

“It needs to be recognised that even small additional pressures can make the difference between conditions that are uncomfortable, and those that are intolerable”.

Dr Paget said overcrowding exacerbates the existing risks in what is already a volatile setting.

“The current risks in the NSW prison system are acute, and these will inevitably be heightened as the prison population continues to increase faster than system capacity and services”, he said.

The report discusses how overcrowding strains Corrective Services’ capacity to maintain security classifications and meet inmate placement needs.

Movement is severely restricted, access to recreational and learning facilities is decreased, and health care waiting times increased.

“Prisoners in NSW already receive the fewest hours out of their cells each day of any state in Australia. Extra beds being installed in cells to keep up with demand, further diminishes conditions for inmates”, Dr Paget said.

The Inspector of Custodial Services was established in October 2013 to provide independent oversight of the NSW correctional system, including Corrective Services NSW and Juvenile Justice NSW.