00:02Dawn Deloes Correctional Centre at Silverwater.
00:05It was closed back in 2022 when the prison population was more stable,
00:09but it'll soon be reactivated to meet surging demand.
00:13This will create an extra 515 new beds and 150 new jobs.
00:18As of June, there were nearly 14,000 adult prisoners in New South Wales,
00:22up more than 800 on the year before.
00:25The increase is largely due to remand,
00:27with 46% of the prison population being denied bail and kept behind bars
00:32while their cases go through the courts.
00:34About one in three prisoners on remand is accused of domestic and family violence.
00:38In 2024, the Minns government made it harder for them to get out on bail
00:42if they'd been charged with a serious DV offence.
00:45We don't celebrate the fact that the prison population has increased,
00:49but we regard it as necessary to keep the population safe.
00:54The union representing prison guards wants more investment in prevention
00:58so these cells don't fill up in the first place.
01:01We've called for the establishment of 15 dedicated domestic violence services
01:05right across the state.
01:07This facility needs a bit of work.
01:09It's extremely dusty, so it'll need a deep clean.
01:12They also need to check the power, the plumbing, the communications
01:15and all of the security systems.
01:18But the government's confident it can be up and running by early next year.
01:21But first comes a big recruitment drive.
01:24Enjoying it? Love it.
01:26Oh, that's great, yeah.
01:27They need at least 150 prison officers to sign up.
01:30Look, I think they start around about $90,000, you know, per annum,
01:36which is a pretty good salary.
01:37It also offers job security, he says,
01:40a line of work in which you can do some serious time.
01:43Amen.
01:43Amen.
01:44Amen.
01:45Amen.
01:47You
