Extra beds arriving at Alice Springs prison after NSW inmates hired for construction

Interstate inmates have been called on to help solve the Northern Territory’s chronic prison bed shortage – with the new cells set to roll into the NT on the back of trucks. WATCH THE VIDEO.

Fia Walsh

@fiawalsh

2 min read

February 5, 2024 - 6:30AM

Inmates in NSW build modular cells for Alice Springs prison

Police & Courts

Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.

Inmates from interstate are being employed to build modular cells for Alice Springs prison, as part of a rapid expansion for the overcrowded facility.

Prisoners at New South Wales’ St Heliers Correctional Centre are constructing the units – the first of which are being transported from the Upper Hunter to Central Australia this week.

NSW’s Corrective Services Industries was contracted to deliver the facilities, which include 48 cells and 96 beds, large communal spaces, an officer’s post and additional storage rooms.

Each cell includes two beds, a shared writing desk and chair, shower, toilet, sink and shelving.

The layout has been designed to maximise staff and inmate safety.

St Heliers Governor Justin Quinn said it was an excellent opportunity for the NSW inmates to build employable skills in engineering, metalwork, plumbing, joinery and construction.

“The skills the inmates have picked up along the way are second to none, they’ll be able to transfer those skills into every day society when they leave,” Mr Quinn said.

The NT Justice department said NT Prison Industries was not able to perform the work.

“Correctional Services in NSW has designed, engineered and fabricated modular cell blocks that meet the standard to accommodate medium rated prisoners,” a spokeswoman for the department said.

“These modules have already been tested and proven in rollouts in NSW.

“A Northern Territory Business has been awarded the work to install and deploy the modular accommodation in Alice Springs.”

Modular cells, which will add 96 beds to Alice Springs prison are being built by inmates in New South Wales. Picture: Supplied.

NSW inmates have previously been involved in similar projects, including building emergency accommodation for people affected by flooding in the Northern Rivers region.

Corrective Services Industries said it had been approached about the project by the NT government about 12 months ago, and they based the design on a 2015 project to address prison bed shortages in NSW.

“The project’s tracking very well, we’re at the initial stage of delivery now for the first three modules, with an additional three modules going every other week into the new year,” Director Blake Conwell said.

“It’s been just phenomenal, to be able to build a 96 bed facility for another jurisdiction in a very short time frame – It’ll probably be about eight months from start to finish to be able to deliver on site. [It] is a big achievement.

“It allows us to contribute to reducing reoffending so overall everyone’s a winner here.”