Sydney prison criticised for 'putrid' conditions returns to public hands

Inmates who arrive at Parklea Correctional Centre leave much of their world behind them.

Gone are their clothes, replaced by prison greens and matching shoes.

Their mobiles are confiscated, replaced with communal telephones and monitored calls.

Some watching TV in their cells might catch a glimpse of an arrest on the news.

The centre's governor, Brian Gurney, said those same suspects could often come through his gates.

"Literally, we'll see what happens on the night-time news and those people are with us the next day," he said.

While they may have lost their liberty, possessions and ease of communication with the outside world, they do not leave everything behind.

Mr Gurney said that was particularly true of gang members.

That presents a particular challenge for corrections officers, as they try to keep those rivalries contained, while keeping contraband out.

Changing hands

Earlier this month, Parklea was returned to public hands after 17 years of private operation, under two separate contractors.

The move was celebrated by the Public Service Association (PSA), which labelled the privatisation a "failed experiment".

"Locking people up for profit is no way to run a prison system," PSA general secretary Stewart Little said.

As part of the changeover, Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) led a surprise raid of the prison, looking for contraband.

Officers searched inmates' clothes and personal effects, their bedding, bins, drawers and toiletries, as well as every prison yard.

CSNSW said the contraband they uncovered included a smoking device for illegal substances hidden in a milk carton, a machete hidden under a mattress and drug paraphernalia in a cereal box.

Mr Gurney said gang members had vast networks on the outside, which would try to smuggle in items they could use to their advantage.

"These are people with a lot of resources when they come into custody," Mr Gurney said.

And they were getting more "inventive".

"The traditional 'throw a tennis ball over the fence' has gone these days and they're using drones to bring things in, and in large quantities," he said.

Guards use cameras to detect drones, forcing their pilots to attempt drops from higher altitudes, and often missing.

"Their accuracy in getting into yards … is very difficult," he said.

The PSA wants corrections officers to have powers to shoot down drones, using gun-like devices that interfere with a drone's signals.

Corrections Minister Anoulack Chanthivong said the government was in the "latter stages" of procurement for the right kind of technology.

"We want to make sure that the technology is adjustable and long-lasting," he said.

Life on the inside

Parklea houses more than 1,500 inmates, ranging from minimum to maximum security.

Most are on remand, waiting for their court cases to be finalised.

While touring a minimum security wing as part of official handover proceedings, the minister met two inmates.

"And what's your role?" one asked him politely.

"I'm the minister for corrections," Mr Chanthivong replied.

The inmate then said he was glad to be participating in a drug rehabilitation program, having been in prison three times.

In another part of the prison, the tour visited a room where inmates were preparing for their upcoming release, through a program designed to help them reconnect with family.

The course also covered more practical matters, like getting paperwork and identification together.

Nearby, inmates in a kitchen busily prepared curried egg sandwiches for the prison population, allowing them to earn money for approved items.

Mr Gurney said it also helped them build their confidence.

"While they might not go off and become a sandwich maker when they leave custody, what they've learned whilst they're in custody are those sort of life skills," he said.

"Having some sort of work type, discipline, getting up in the morning, going to work, being responsible for the production of something."

With the prison now handed over to corrective services, he said he hoped to put more focus on training and education programs, particularly for the remand population.

"[Many] come in and out, in and out, without actually getting any sort of treatment or help and assistance," he said.

'Not up to standard'

One of the government's biggest challenges will be improving the standard of health facilities at Parklea.

In August, a report by the Inspector of Custodial Services determined the main health centre did "not provide safe or hygienic accommodation".

As such, it did not meet the inspector's health standards, nor did it satisfy the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners' requirements.

It also found the area was "unsuitable" for clinicians and that medical staff amenities were poorly located, creating safety concerns.

In 2025, the deputy state coroner handed down a report into the 2019 death of Parklea inmate, James Cunneen.

He recommended the government consider a major redevelopment of the clinic, after hearing evidence that it was "filthy and putrid".

When asked whether the government would commit to an upgrade, the minister said his department would "continue to invest its capital to improve the facilities".

Corrective Services Commissioner, Gary McCahon, said some criticisms of the health facilities were "right".

He said Corrective Services and Justice Health would work to ensure inmates left Parklea in a much better state than they arrived in.

"The level of healthcare we provide is important for the people who've come into our care."