Inside Christmas Day at the Clarence Correctional Centre at Grafton
It was singer Paul Kelly’s poignant lament, but there’s gravy on “the inside” at the Clarence Correctional Centre and a whole lot more.
Grafton
Don't miss out on the headlines from Grafton. Followed categories will be added to My News.
There’s a brutal honesty and simplicity in how Christmas Day is marked inside Australia’s largest jail at Grafton.
The Clarence Correctional Centre opened on July 1, 2020, and is operated and maintained by Serco on behalf of the NSW Government.
The 1700-bed facility is designed to support a rehabilitative approach to justice by providing education, training and employment pathways for inmates through industry, business, and education partners.
The centre currently has about 1100 inmates across the male maximum, male minimum, and female accommodation areas.
But how does December 25 play out in the Big House?
You might be surprised to know that visitors are not allowed to the facility at Grafton on Christmas Day - nor in fact to any NSW correctional centre.
That may seem harsh, but it’s actually a compassionate policy which largely reflects the wishes of the prison population, who do not want partners or children making the journey on the day and potentially putting a downer on their Christmas.
Loved ones are allowed to visit on the other days over the festive period.
A Serco spokesman said while multi-denominational religious services would not be held on Christmas Day, they were available in the days leading up to and after December 25.
And as for Paul Kelly who sang the Christmas anthem, How to Make Gravy - we asked what would be on the dinner table.
The Christmas Day menu at the Clarence Correctional Centre will include a selection of roast meats, vegetables, and gravy, with a vegetarian option available.
Aside from comforting fare, Christmas Day in the jail at Grafton will be a quiet affair, perhaps an opportunity for reflection.
In that honest simplicity, it will be celebrated as Christmas Day was traditionally marked before it became commercialised.
‘Achieve balance’: New Kyogle mayor reveals plans
Familiar face Danielle Mulholland said she plans to “get cracking” to find a new general manager and agitate for funding as the re-elected Kyogle mayor. Here’s her plan.
‘Did you f–k my boyfriend?’: Teen kidnapped, attacked with axe
A North Coast kidnapper tricked a girl, 17, into a car by promising a fun trip and instead took her to a caravan park, before a balaclava-clad co-offender hit her with an axe, a court heard.