About stop the cell-off
The NSW Government has announced that it plans to privatise Parklea Correctional Complex in Sydney’s western suburbs. The Government also wants to privatise vital prison functions across the state, including prisoner transport and court security.
NSW prison officers oppose these plans because we do not believe corporations should be trusted with a fundamental part of the justice system.
Join us in our campaign to keep prisons in public hands.
These companies all have a shameful track record in running prisons around the world. Read our report on these companies
More about private prisons
NSW prison officers oppose these plans because we do not believe corporations should be trusted with a fundamental part of the justice system.
Join us in our campaign to keep prisons in public hands.
Who are the corporations bidding for Parklea?
Four multi-national companies have submitted bids for Parklea. They are:- Florida-based GEO Group;
- UK-based Group 4 Securicor (G4S);
- Utah-based Management & Training Corporation (MTC); and
- UK based Serco.
These companies all have a shameful track record in running prisons around the world. Read our report on these companies
More about private prisons
The Risks
- Frequent escapes are commonplace.
In the case of the Victorian Metropolitan Woman’s Correctional Centre, the Government was forced to take control of the prison after repeated escapes, severe contract breaches including inadequate staffing, a lack of proper security services, rampant illicit drugs and excessive lockdowns.
- Assaults increase.
A 2001 US Department of Justice study showed that in comparable prisons, private facilities had a 49 per cent higher assault rate on staff and a 65 per cent higher assault rate on other prisoners.
- Higher likelihood of prisoner recidivism.
Recent research demonstrates that private prison inmates have a significantly greater risk of committing more crimes after release than those in public prisons.
- More complaints.
Junee Prison in NSW, which is run by GEO Group, has consistently been the subject of significantly more complaints to the Ombudsman than any other correctional facility in the state.
- Private prisons perform poorly.
A leaked report from the UK Prisons Service in 2008, ranking performance of all prisons in six categories, showed that 10 out of 11 privately run prisons in England and Wales were in the bottom quarter of all prisons.