MORE than 200 beds at the South Coast Correctional Centre remain vacant despite constant reports that our jails are full and multi-million dollar expansions at the South Nowra facility over the past two years.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A spokeswoman for Corrective Services NSW said the 200 vacant beds was due to two of the original accommodation blocks at the South Nowra complex being refurbished.
"Inmates are being housed in other accommodation areas at the centre while work is being completed," the spokesperson said.
"The centre will take on additional inmates when the accommodation becomes available."
Read more:
The South Coast Register understands the work is to allow original minimum-security sections to be upgraded to medium-security, thus a need to increase various security requirements.
The South Nowra Jail opened in 2010 and is a male maximum, medium and minimum-security facility.
It was originally earmarked to also house women but that has never eventuated.
In the past couple of years the jail has expanded with a new 160-bed maximum-security wing opening in June this year and an additional 200-bed minimum-security section in September 2018 - an increase of almost a third in the number of inmates, taking numbers up to around 1100.
Subscribe to our newsletters for breaking news alerts and more
Robert Crawford
Robert Crawford is a senior journalist at the South Coast Register, for Australian Community Media . Everyone's got a story, what's yours? Email robert.crawford@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Robert Crawford is a senior journalist at the South Coast Register, for Australian Community Media . Everyone's got a story, what's yours? Email robert.crawford@austcommunitymedia.com.au
