Sections of Goulburn jail will be closed under a new plan from the NSW Government. Photo: John Thistleton.
Prisoners held in the maximum security section of Goulburn’s jail are set to be transferred away from the regional city.
It’s part of a plan to close sections at the Goulburn Correctional Complex, which houses two separate facilities – the Goulburn Correctional Centre (Goulburn CC) and the High Risk Management Correctional Centre (HRMCC), or ‘Supermax’.
It’s understood the latter will not be affected.
NSW Minister for Corrective Services Anoulack Chanthivong announced the shake-up this week.
“Community safety is this government’s top priority. It is for this reason that we are retiring these Victorian-era facilities and investing in modern, secure and fit-for-purpose correctional centres.
“As inmate numbers rise, we are ensuring our staff have the safest possible workplaces and that those in custody are housed in facilities that meet contemporary standards.”
It’s understood 170 inmates will be transferred from the Goulburn CC to the Junee and Clarence correctional centres.
The former was taken over by the NSW Government in April 2025, more than two decades after it was privatised in 1993.
The Inspector of Custodial Services (ICS), the oversight body for NSW prisons, plans to inspect Goulburn Correctional Complex later this year.
But a June 2022 report called for the maximum security areas of the Goulburn CC to close.
“It is difficult to maintain and operate and it would be impossible to refurbish it to a satisfactory standard,” the document states.
“It cannot provide conditions consistent with a modern correctional environment and conducive to offender rehabilitation, … [Also] custodial staff do not feel safe working in this environment, and this in turn makes it an unsafe environment for inmates and staff.”
It also describes the Goulburn CC’s maximum security area as being poorly ventilated, without showers and having ligature points.
“In contrast [to the HRMCC], the maximum security area of Goulburn CC is one of the oldest pieces of custodial infrastructure operating in NSW and is no longer fit-for-purpose.”
Liberal Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman has called for the NSW Government to ensure jobs are protected. Photo: John Thistleton.
Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman hit out against the plan, saying it risked treating the city “as an afterthought”.
“The Goulburn jail underpins local jobs and provides stability for many families,” she said.
“Any decision that reduces activity at the facility sends a worrying signal about the future of secure employment in the NSW Public Service across Goulburn.”
She also said that while the NSW Government had indicated there would be no job losses, she didn’t believe this.
“With wings closing and operations scaling back, the impact will inevitably be felt locally – particularly through fewer shifts, reduced overtime and less take-home pay,” Ms Tuckerman said.
The government has stated that affected staff will be offered opportunities for redeployment to equivalent positions within Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW).
There will also be incentives for staff who wish to relocate.
A three- to six-month consultation period has also been flagged.
Silverwater Women’s Correctional Centre, which was built in 1969, will also face operational changes as part of the shake-up.
It currently houses two specialist units, which will be moved to Dillwynia Correctional Centre and expanded.
While it will continue operating as an intake and reception centre, older parts of the facility will be closed.
These changes are expected to be in effect by the end of September.
CSNSW and the minister will continue to work with the Public Services Association as these changes are implemented.
The Goulburn CC opened in 1884 for male inmates. Two wings also closed in early 2024.
