Overview

• The NSW government will transition Parklea Correctional Centre from private to public management by October 2026, ending a 15-year outsourcing arrangement.
• Premier Chris Minns cited the need for better rehabilitative services and taxpayer value as key reasons for the decision to de-privatize the facility.
• Stricter bail laws targeting domestic violence offenders and repeat youth offenders have increased the prison population by 1,000, straining the state's corrective services.
• The move aligns with Labor's broader efforts to reverse prison privatization, with Junee Correctional Centre also set to return to public hands in April 2025.
• Critics of private prison management, including unions, argue that profit-driven models fail to prioritize rehabilitation and safety for staff and inmates.