Australian state will "rapid build" prisons to deal with overcrowding

The Australian state of New South Wales announced Monday that they are "rapid building" a new high-security jail in order to combat the overcrowding plaguing the prison system.

A new 400 inmate capacity jail will be built at the existing Wellington Correctional Centre, and the government said the speed at which they are building it, means it will be online mid year, as opposed to the usual two year wait for a regular jail to be constructed.

The state government is also "rapid building" a second jail in the mid-north city of Cessnock, and has two further "priority build" prisons in the pipeline.

David Elliot, New South Wales Minister for Corrections said the new facilities are part of a grander scheme to reduce reoffending, and keep the community safer.

"This innovative rapid-build design is a first for NSW and will ensure inmates are engaged in activities including programs to reduce reoffending, education and industries for up to 12 hours per day, compared to six hours a day at similar security facilities." Elliott said.

The move comes as statistics emerged late in January that revealed New South Wales has a chronic overpopulation problem within their prison system, with a 16 percent surge in adult numbers, according to the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOSCAR).

This was compounded by a News South Wales Auditor General's report in November last year, that suggested overcrowding past maximum capacity in the state's jails was costing the taxpayer 60 million dollars (46 U.S. million dollars) per year.

"Increases in the operational capacity of the prison system are not keeping pace with increases in inmate numbers," Auditor General Margaret Crawford said at the time.

"The Department of Justice should determine if the planned capital investment is sufficient to efficiently and effectively manage inmates over the next two to three years."

The rapidly built jails are part of a 3.8 billion dollar infrastructure plan, which a New South Wales Corrections spokesperson told Xinhua would "deal with the increase in inmate population" and provide better rehabilitation services.

"The NSW 2016-17 Budget provided $3.8 billion over four years to fund a long-term infrastructure plan of about 7,000 beds," the spokesperson said.

Over 1,400 new guards will be recruited to staff the new prisons as part of the broader infrastructure program.

Source: Xinhua