THE GLEN Innes Correctional Centre will be allocated an extra 52 beds, as part of changes to cope with the state’s increasing prison population.
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The announcement follows a late-night jail break by two inmates two weeks ago, who were serving out their sentence at Glen Innes Prison.
Glen Innes is a male only minimum security pre-release correctional facility which is used to prepare inmates for release into the community.
Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall said the additional beds would be installed at the centre within the next three weeks, with the new inmates to follow shortly after that.
“The expansion would take the capacity of the centre over 180 inmates and would require the employment of additional permanent staff and prison officers,” he said.
“Glen Innes Severn Mayor Col Price and I raised expansion opportunities with the Minister during his visit with us to the correctional centre in July this year.
“The centre has enormous latent capacity and we put a proposal to the Minister that an expansion of around 50 beds could be easily accommodated without the need for new infrastructure to be built.”
The NSW State Opposition claims the overcrowding in the state’s jails is a sign the justice system is in “crisis”.
However Mr Marshall said stronger law enforcement and sentences which reflect community expectations is what has led to an increase in the prison population and flagged further expansion for the Glen Innes Correctional Centre.
“The expansion will create extra local jobs, which is always good news, and this could just be the beginning for Glen Innes Correctional Centre,” he said.
“It is a challenge for the system and the government has an infrastructure plan to accommodate these prisoners, which I am very pleased includes a larger role for the Glen Innes Correctional Centre.”
