The Minns Labor Government will deliver nearly 1,000 extra prison beds, through the re-opening of the 515-bed Dawn de Loas Correctional Centre at the Silverwater Correctional Complex and the fast-tracked delivery of over 360 additional beds at Parklea Correctional Centre.
Backed by a $47.1 million investment to recommission Dawn de Loas, the expansion comes as tougher bail laws and stronger action on domestic and family violence see more offenders held accountable and held in custody.
Around 150 staff will also be recruited to support the reopening and operation of Dawn de Loas, which is expected to reopen in early 2027.
The additional capacity will be critical as the New South Wales correctional system manages record numbers of people on remand across metropolitan Sydney.
As of September, 6,398 people were on remand, accounting for 46 per cent of the adult prison population.
The additional space for minimum security remand and sentenced inmates at Dawn de Loas will ease pressure on the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre (MRRC), support its 24/7 operations and improve the safe and effective movement of inmates across the network.
The fast-tracked beds at Parklea will also provide additional capacity and help ease pressure across the Sydney correctional system.
It comes as the NSW Government prepares to bring Parklea Correctional Centre back into public hands on 1 October, strengthening the public correctional system and securing more than 400 public sector jobs in Western Sydney.
In 2024, the Minns Labor Government substantially strengthened domestic and family violence laws by making it harder than ever for alleged serious offenders to get bail.
Alleged serious domestic violence offenders must now ‘show cause’ as to why they should be released before they can be granted bail.
Courts must also consider domestic violence ‘red flags’ (such as abusive or violent behaviour or causing death to an animal) when making bail decisions and the Government has ensured bail decisions are made by magistrates and judges, rather than registrars.
These changes have had a significant impact on the prison population, with one-third of people on remand now facing domestic and family violence-related charges.
That means the correctional system needs the capacity to safely manage the people courts determine should remain in custody.
The Government has backed these reforms with record investment in victim-survivor services, including $184.1 million to boost essential frontline domestic and family violence services by 50 per cent.
This investment is the single largest across-the-board increase in core funding for specialised domestic and family violence programs in decades.
The Minns Labor Government recognises that addressing domestic and family violence requires a system-wide approach. Prevention, early intervention, victim support and behaviour change programs all play a critical role in reducing offending and keeping communities safer.
But where alleged offenders pose a serious risk to women, children and the broader community, they should be behind bars, not out on our streets.
If tougher laws mean more dangerous offenders are held in custody, we will make sure there is the prison capacity to hold them.
The delivery of additional prison beds is the next stage of the Minns Labor Government’s reforms to strengthen the state’s correctional network and respond to growing demand across Sydney.
The changes will also create a more coordinated and efficient remand network, improving the way inmate admissions and movements are managed and helping ensure beds are available where they are needed most.
The Minns Labor Government is increasing prison capacity at a time when record numbers of people are being held on remand.
Nearly 1,000 additional beds are being brought online across Sydney, backed by investment in the frontline staff needed to operate them safely.
By contrast, the Opposition is proposing to close Long Bay Correctional without identifying where replacement prison capacity would be built.
Community safety requires tough decisions backed by the right investment in front line staff and better infrastructure.
The need for more prison capacity is an unapologetic consequence of stronger laws that hold violent offenders accountable and keep the community safer.
Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:
“We’ve seen some shocking cases of domestic violence in this state, with women tragically losing their lives, and we made a decision that the law needed to be tougher.
“Those decisions mean more people accused of serious domestic violence are being held behind bars. I believe that’s the right thing to do.
“It also means we need more prison space. If a court decides someone is too dangerous to be released, then we need somewhere to put them.
“That’s why we’re bringing nearly 1,000 additional prison beds online across Sydney. It’s a consequence of tougher laws, and we make no apology for it.”
Minister for Corrections Anoulack Chanthivong said:
“Violence against women is a problem for our whole community, and we cannot accept it as inevitable.
“We’ve strengthened domestic violence laws, made bail harder to get and backed those changes with record investment. The result is more alleged serious offenders being held accountable.
“At a time when demand for prison beds is growing, we’re spending $47.1 million to reopen Dawn de Loas and hire 150 staff while the Opposition looks to close Long Bay, slashing over 1000 jobs.
“We know reducing domestic and family violence takes more than prison beds alone. But when dangerous offenders need to be behind bars, we’ll make sure there is capacity for them.”
