Parklea Correctional Centre: audit calls for improvements to major Sydney prison

An inside look of a major Sydney prison has been revealed in an audit identifying high numbers of assaults and staff burnout as areas of concern. See the photos:

Staff burnout, high numbers of assaults and long wait lists for inmates seeking medical appointments are among areas of concern identified during an audit of one of the largest correctional centres in NSW.

The Inspector of Custodial Services has made 41 recommendations aimed at lifting the standards of Parklea Correctional Centre following an audit of the facility between November and December 2020.

The inspection identified high numbers of assaults as a key issue of concern with 527 offences recorded in the 12 month period leading up to the inspection.

The figure included 20 assaults which were classed as ‘significant’ or ‘serious’ along with 34 incidents of inmates assaulting staff.

The audit found the number of assaults reflected the high risk and unsettled population of the prison as well as an unmet demand for health and welfare resources.

Photos of inmate cells, taken inside the correctional centre.

Staffing levels were another area of concern with the prison’s high population coupled with high turnover of new inmates resulting in the centre operating under “constant pressure” and risking “burnout for health and custodial staff”.

The audit found the pressure had impacts on inmates, such as delays in establishing phone contacts, inadequate systems for monitoring requests and misaligned case planning assessment tools.

A photo inside the prison, which had almost 1300 inmates at the time of the inspection.

A photo of secure yards attached to segregation cells.

Staff rosters also showed there were insufficient staff trained in batons and weapons to cover all shifts while managers were only rostered Monday to Friday, resulting in a shortfall of senior staff on weekends.

Security measures around contraband were also probed with figures showing there were 111 items of drug paraphernalia including syringes and needles found between April 2020 to March 2021.

There were also 238 other contraband items discovered such as tobacco and buprenorphine – a drug which can be used as a replacement in the treatment of heroin and methadone use.

The audit found the suburban location of the centre added to the challenge of policing the perimeter, and despite Covid-19 restrictions putting a temporary end to in-person visits the rates of contraband detection remained high.

A photo of a segregation cell.

Parklea is one of the largest prisons in NSW.

The audit also heard an inmate temporarily managed to escape the prison after walking through a vehicle gate while it was open during an incident in October 2020. He was pursued on foot by staff and apprehended several minutes later, within 100m of the boundary.

The prison, which had 1294 inmates at the time of the inspection, also had long wait times for inmates seeking health appointments with 1035 inmates on various priority wait lists.

The standard of accommodation was another area of concern with parts of the prison containing ligature points, or hanging points, which the audit labelled a “critical issue” to be addressed.

A photo of the reception area and the holding cells, located at the rear of the building.

A photo of a screening area at the centre.

The layout of the reception also came under scrutiny with the audit finding inmates were being searched behind metal screens in a reception room, rather than a private setting.

Other areas of concern included lack of soundproofing in audio visual link booths and inadequate access to legal materials and resources.

The list of recommendations included improvements to staff rostering, patient flow and access to available health services along with a strategy to remove ligature points.

Photos of inmate units at the centre.

A view from a common area.

Other recommendations include an independent review of the “cost effectiveness” of the private contract to operate the facility to ensure “efficiency and value for money”.

The facility is currently one of three privately managed correctional centres in NSW along with Junee Correctional Centre and Clarence Correctional Centre.

The three centres accommodate almost one quarter of the inmate population in NSW and cost the state government more than $230 million in annual fees and costs.

A photo of the audio visual link booth which can be used for inmates to take part in court proceedings remotely.

A photo of the visitor area at the prison.

In response to the audit, an MTC Broadspectrum spokesman – the private operator of Parklea – said it “welcomes the recommendations” of the report and many of the recommendations had been implemented before the report was tabled in parliament.

“Several initiatives have been implemented to reduce assaults at Parklea, including a new strategy to identify inmates who are a greater risk of assaulting staff, regular meetings to identify and manage problematic inmates (and) increased use of behaviour management plans to ensure violent behaviour is handled swiftly and appropriately,” a spokeswoman said.

“Parklea has also increased the number of psychologists, and agency psychologists are also used to assist with caseloads when required (and) staff rosters have been amended to enable a more efficient use of staff and new rostering principles established.

“The remaining recommendations relevant to MTC-Broadspectrum are in the process of being implemented.”

The audit report noted there had been various improvements at the prison since the previous inspection in 2014 including new infrastructure and programs for inmates.

Parklea is one of only two reception and remand centres for male inmates in Sydney, and manages high volumes of inmates including those who require protection.