The Malinauskas Government's record investment into prison capacity is making strong progress, with construction of the new 40-bed site at the Adelaide Women's Prison (AWP) well underway and the location of a further 116 new beds revealed.
The 116 beds – part of a $72.4 million State Budget investment – will provide greater capacity across the prison system, covering regional and metropolitan areas:
- Mount Gambier Prison – 32 beds.
- Adelaide Remand Centre – 50 beds.
- Adelaide Women's Prison – 34 beds, which are in addition to the new 40-bed facility being built. Both projects will boost the prison's capacity by 29 per cent.
The new beds are all set to come online by the end of 2026, helping to keep South Australians safe.
At AWP, key milestones reached include civil works completed, main slab poured for both blocks and first-floor works underway.
Vision of works underway is available here.
This 40-bed site – along with the 34 new beds announced – take the total number of beds at AWP to 326.
Contraband perimeter fencing and new cameras will be installed at the prison to improve security for staff, prisoners and the community.
Construction to deliver an additional 312 high security beds at Yatala Labour Prison – funded in the previous Budget – is also proceeding with the tender phase almost finalised.
The investment will take the total number of beds at the prison to 1,159 – increasing its capacity by 37 per cent. The first stage of the new building, comprising 104 beds, is due to be completed by August 2027.
This brings the total prison capacity across the last two budgets to 468 new beds.
An extra 19 transition beds at Mount Gambier Prison to provide immediate increased capacity are also now in place.
The Government is building record capacity across the system to further support community safety, opening or investing in more than 750 prison beds over the past three years.
South Australia has the lowest recidivism rate in the nation and providing contemporary facilities to support prisoners' rehabilitation helps drive these efforts.
As put by Emily Bourke
We are delivering a record investment to increase capacity in our prison system to keep South Australians safe.
Construction is well underway and the first of hundreds of new beds are set to open next year.
South Australia has the lowest reoffending rate in the nation and providing appropriate support to develop skills needed will help offenders transition back into the community and stay out of prison upon release.
As put by DCS Chief Executive David Brown
These new beds will ensure we have the capacity to house offenders, while providing a safer and more secure environment for staff and prisoners.
Increasing capacity to improve the rehabilitation process for prisoners will lead to better employment and post-release outcomes.
