Clarence Correctional Centre: Shock number of positions vacant at private prison

Whistleblowers are lifting the lid on “severe staff shortages” at a privately-run prison where an inmate died last month. See the figures here.

A massive 82 positions were vacant at the privately-run Clarence Correctional Facility on the state’s north coast when an inmate died in custody last month.

Corrections Minister Geoff Lee revealed to NSW parliament a total of 78 full-time positions were vacant at the Serco facility, while four part time positions were also left unfilled.

“The total vacancies covers all work streams across the centre,” Mr Lee said in a statement to shadow Corrections spokeswoman Tara Moriarty.

“The Operator continues to recruit to the maximum inmate capacity of the centre, 1700 inmates, to ensure the State has flexible bed options in the far north of NSW.”

A total of 539 people are currently employed at the Northern NSW correctional facility.

On April 30 a 41-year-old man was found unresponsive in his cell by staff around 12.05pm and was pronounced deceased at 12.38pm.

Corrections Minister Geoff Lee. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

Ms Moriarty said significant staff shortages at Clarence Correctional Centre were “putting prison staff and inmates at risk”.

“82 vacant positions mean the jail cannot be operating as required,” she said. “No excuses, the NSW Government must act to fill these vacant positions immediately to ensure community safety.”

The figures come as it can be revealed the facility was forced to lock prisoners down for several hours following the death of an inmate, due to “severe staff shortages”.

Shadow corrections spokeswoman Tara Moriarty. (AAP Image/Steven Saphore)

A Corrective Services NSW source said inmates inside Clarence Correctional Centre were “locked down for hours on end following a death in custody last month, due to a lack of correctional officers on the ground to respond to the death”.

“If you are locking in because you don’t have enough staff to respond to a critical incident, it is clear staffing is a challenge and something that needs to be addressed,” the source said.

A Serco spokeswoman told NewsCorp that the organisation, Corrective Services NSW and NSW Police were investigating the death in custody.

“As per normal protocol and in line with NSW Police investigations procedure, inmates in the area where the incident occurred were locked down until evening muster,” the spokeswoman said. “All deaths in custody are subject to a coronial inquest.”

“Clarence Correctional Centre has appropriate staffing levels for the inmates accommodated at the centre.”

NewsCorp understands there are currently just over 1000 inmates in the privately-run facility.