Home / Proposal to expand Cessnock Gaol… good or bad?
The recent proposal by Corrective Services NSW to expand Cessnock Gaol with 1000 additional beds raises two concerns for me.
Firstly, following Cessnock Gaol’s last expansion in 2012, when 250 new single-bed cells were built, Samaritans Information and Neighbourhood Centre at Cessnock experienced a significant spike in intake for people we support. Trends revealed an increase in families moving to the area to be closer to family members in gaol with no money, food or means to support themselves. Many of the people who approached our Samaritans Information and Neighbourhood Centre for help, which offers support, emergency assistance and referral, also had the extra burden of young children to support.
Along with the added strain on the services we provide, Samaritans also found that homelessness in the area has increased over the last four years with families struggling to afford rent or find appropriate accommodation after relocating to be near loved ones in gaol. With the addition of 1000 beds to Cessnock Gaol it is anticipated homelessness will continue to rise, as will the strain on our support services in the area.
My second concern is the allocation of funding and whether a focus on reducing recidivism would be more worthwhile than the NSW government’s $3.8 billion Prison Bed Capacity Program, which would create 7000 more beds over four years. Investing money in post-release programs which aim to reduce recidivism by supporting people exiting prison with accommodation, job opportunities and assimilation back into the community is more productive for the individual and cost-effective for tax payers. The recidivism rate for men who participate in Samaritans Friendship House program is below 14%, compared to a significantly higher rate of 60% in the general post- release population. The program has supported over 480 men in the last 20 years yet receives no Government funding whatsoever. Rather than investing in more beds I would like to see more funding towards programs such as these which have proven to reduce recidivism and promote rehabilitation.
Cessnock has been outgrowing it’s ability to provide appropriate infrastructure for years. It stands to reason that people forced to move closer to loved ones in prison are going to face housing and job crises and all of the associated hardships. Strain on Samaritans (and other) services are inevitable.
Absolutely more funding needs to be provided for homelessness, recidivism reduction programs, families in crisis, etc. Also for reaching people before they become part of the ‘Justice System Merry-go-Round’.
However, an issue that can’t be ignored is the appalling state of overcrowding in the prison system. The fact is, these beds are desperately needed. The Department of Corrective Services is also grossly underfunded. They are trying to reduce violence and mental health issues due to overcrowding with insufficient resources.
Expanding an existing prison to provide a larger number of beds is the most economical way they can (attempt to) achieve this.
Unfortunately, as you point out, the flow on effect to families and the community in general is under considered, under planned and under funded.
As the expansion is a fait accompli we need to start planning now how best to support as many people as we can with what we have.