Sydney prisons get 700 extra beds as inmate population surges

ALMOST 700 extra beds will be created in two Western Sydney prisons as the state government continues to grapple with the surging inmate population — including a big increase in the number of women being jailed.

Almost 700 beds will be added to two Sydney prisons. Picture: Tim Hunter.

ALMOST 700 extra beds will be created in two Western Sydney prisons as the state government continues to grapple with the surging inmate population — including a big increase in the number of women being jailed.

Prisons Minister David Elliott will announce today that an extra 440 beds are being built at an expanded Silverwater prison and 248 new beds will be created by expanding Dillwynia Correctional Centre for women, near Windsor.

The work is expected to be completed by 2020 and create an estimated 200 full-time prison jobs and 550 construction jobs. Many of the new beds will be for prisoners being held on remand.

Latest figures show 13,092 prisoners are crammed into the state’s jails and a massive $3.8 billion was allocated last year to help solve the overcrowding problem. The population is forecast to grow to 13,400 next year.

“The beds are badly needed — particularly in the metropolitan region. Expanding existing facilities is just gold for us,” said Corrective Services boss Peter Severin.

An increase in the number of women being jailed has seen the inmate population surge. Picture: Tim Hunter.

There has been a “disproportionably high” increase in female prisoners which Mr Severin blamed on the ice epidemic and women who turn to crime after suffering from rising rates of domestic violence.

“We put it down to a number of factors — clearly a number of females who have significant drug and alcohol issues, particularly ice,” he said.

“That results in a whole range of criminal activity — robberies and theft.

“Generally we are dealing with a cohort (of women) that is a lot more dysfunctional than we might have had ten years ago or so — they have behavioural disorders, in many cases have experienced extreme trauma at a much more intensive rate than previously.”

Mr Elliott said the expansion will allow remand prisoners to be held close to Sydney courtrooms, reducing “significant” transportation costs.

The state government has 13 prison construction projects underway, including a 650-bed expansion of Parklea Correctional Centre and two 400-bed rapid build prisons in Wellington and Cessnock.

One oval will be lost as a result of the expansion at Silverwater prison. Mr Severin said this would be replaced with other recreational facilities, such as basketball courts and exercise yards.

The expansions will occur within the existing permitters at both jails.