This is a list of operational and former Australian prisons for adult males and females and youth detention centres for juveniles . Prisons listed as "museum" are former prisons that are now open for public inspection and tours.
Throughout the European history of Australia, particularly since its formation as a penal colony , Australia has had many establishments for rehabilitation and incarceration. Altogether, there have been more than 180+ rehabilitation centres, youth correctional centres and prisons in Australia.
Australian Capital Territory
Belconnen Remand Centre
A new prison was opened on 11 September 2008 at Hume , called the Alexander Maconochie Centre , named after Alexander Maconochie . The centre is designed as a multi role facility to replace the Belconnen Remand Centre and provide detention facilities so that prisoners who are currently held in New South Wales facilities may be held locally.
New South Wales
Main entrance of Goulburn Correctional Centre , with buildings designed by the Colonial Architect , James Barnet in 1884
Watch tower at Long Bay Correctional Centre at Malabar .
Riverina Juvenile Justice Centre in Wagga Wagga .
The following list of operational and closed correctional facilities has been sourced from the Corrective Services NSW and from the State Records archives.[ 4] [ 5]
^a Cooma commenced operations on 1 November 1873 with 31 cells. In 1876 it was reduced to a Police Gaol and then a temporary Lunatic Asylum in 1877. The Centre closed temporarily in the early 1900s. The Gaol reopened on 8 March 1957 and was again closed 10 July 1998. Cooma Correctional Centre reopened for the second time in November 2001.
^b Maitland, now closed, had capacity for 400 inmates at its peak.
Northern Territory
Queensland
An aerial view of Boggo Road Gaol , Brisbane, circa 1954.
Prisons in Queensland
Prison
Status
Classification
Managed
Opened
Closed
Capacity
Location
Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre
Operational
Maximum
Queensland Corrective Services
1992
–
890
Wacol , Brisbane
Boggo Road Gaol
Museum+ events venue+
Maximum
Now operating as a museum
July 1883
15 June 1992
?
Dutton Park , Brisbane
Borallon Correctional Centre
Operational
Maximum
Queensland Corrective Services
17 November 1989 & reopened on 7 March 2016
initially closed 25 January 2012
494
Ironbark , City of Ipswich
Brisbane Correctional Centre (formerly known as Sir David Longland Correctional Centre )
Operational
Maximum
Queensland Corrective Services
2008
–
600
Wacol , Brisbane
Brisbane Women's Correctional Centre
Operational
Maximum
Queensland Corrective Services
June 1999
–
270
Wacol , Brisbane
Brisbane Youth Detention Centre
Operational
Maximum
Department of Communities
2001
–
105
Wacol , Brisbane
Cairns Gaol
Closed
Demolished
Prison Department
8 September 1897
7 April 1926
-
Cairns
Capricornia Correctional Centre
Operational
High security/Low security centres
Queensland Corrective Services
12 September 2001
–
500
Etna Creek , north of Rockhampton
Cleveland Youth Detention Centre
Operational
Maximum
Department of Communities
1980
–
100
Townsville
Darling Downs Correctional Centre
Closed
Low/Open
Queensland Corrective Services
10 December 1994
30 September 2012
170
Westbrook
Helena Jones Centre
Operational
Low
Queensland Corrective Services
29[ 43]
Albion , Brisbane
Ingham Gaol
Closed
Demolished
Prisons Department
1885
6 August 1924
-
Ingham , Shire of Hinchinbrook
John Oxley Youth Detention Centre
Closed
Maximum
Department of Communities
1987
2001
–
Wacol , Brisbane
Lotus Glen Correctional Centre
Operational
Maximum
Queensland Corrective Services
29 May 1989
–
500
Mareeba
Maryborough Correctional Centre
Operational
Maximum
Queensland Corrective Services
14 October 2002
–
500
Maryborough
Numinbah Correctional Centre
Operational
Low/Open
Queensland Corrective Services
28 October 1940
–
129
Numinbah
Palen Creek Correctional Centre
Operational
Low/Open/Protection
Queensland Corrective Services
6 December 1934
–
170
Rathdowney
Rockhampton Correctional Centre (formerly known as Etna Creek Prison )
Closed
High
Queensland Corrective Services
1969
September 2001
Rockhampton
Roma Gaol
Closed
Demolished
Prison Department
7 December 1872
3 October 1903
-
Roma
Sir Leslie Wilson Youth Detention Centre
Closed
Maximum
Department of Communities
1961
2001
–
Windsor
Southern Queensland Correctional Centre
Operational
Minimum to maximum
Queensland Corrective Services
3 March 2012
–
300
Gatton
St. Helena Penal Establishment
Closed
Ruins[ 44]
N/A
14 May 1867
December 1932
–
St Helena Island , Brisbane
Stone River Prison Farm
Closed
Demolished
Prison Department
December 1945
8 March 1962
-
Ingham
Toowoomba Prison
Closed
Demolished
N/A
1864
1900
–
Toowoomba
Townsville Correctional Centre (formerly known as H.M.P.E. Stewart's Creek )
Operational
Maximum
Queensland Corrective Services
6 April 1893
–
494
Townsville
Whitenbah Prison Farm
Closed
Demolished
Prison Department
21 October 1942
3 May 1949
-
Numinbah
Wolston Correctional Centre
Operational
Maximum
GEO
June 1999
–
600
Wacol
Woodford Correctional Centre
Operational
Maximum
Queensland Corrective Services
28 September 1973
–
1008
Woodford
Total capacity
6166
South Australia
Main Entrance to the former Adelaide Gaol , now a museum. Rear of Yatala Labour Prison , showing walls and watchtower, in 2008.
Prisons in South Australia are managed by the South Australian, Department for Correctional Services apart from the Mount Gambier Prison and Adelaide Remand Centre which are managed by GSL Group.
Tasmania
Construction of expanded facilities at HM Prison Risdon , pictured in 2006
Victoria
HM Prison Dhurringile , a minimum security centre. Victoria Prisons map The former HM Prison Geelong , closed in 1991.
HM Prison Loddon in Castlemaine .
The Old Melbourne Gaol in Russell Street, Melbourne . Façade of the former HM Prison Pentridge , located in Coburg .
Adult Prisons and correctional facilities in Victoria are managed by Corrections Victoria . Two prisons are privatised and managed by G4S Australia Pty. Limited and GEO Group Australia Pty. Limited . Youth Justice custodial centres are managed by the Department of Justice and Community Safety.
Victorian Prisons are mostly located in regional Victoria. The prison system is relatively modern with the closure of the last of the "old" gaols in 2005. Bendigo and Won Wron were the last to be closed. Beechworth Prison was closed in 2004 and replaced with the Beechworth Correctional Centre the following year. New prisons are[when? ] being built or planned at Ararat and Ravenhall. Many prisons have had recent[when? ] expansions in terms of bed numbers.[citation needed ]
At 30 June 2015 there were 4,769 sentenced prisoners and 1,413 unsentenced prisoners in Victoria, thus making a total of 6,182 prisoners. From those 6,182 prisoners, 5,762 were males (93%) and 420 were females (7%). Those numbers also include 480 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners, making them 8% of the total number of prisoners in Victoria.[ 57]
In 2015, the average male prisoner in Victoria was:[ 57]
35.5 years old
born in Australia
did not complete high school
a history of alcohol and drug abuse
single and unemployed at the time he entered the prison system
sentence of three years in a medium security prison
more likely than not to have been imprisoned previously
In 2015, the average female prisoner in Victoria was:[ 57]
36 years old
born in Australia
single or in a de facto relationship
likely to be a mother/primary care giver
unemployed, home duties or on a pension before prison
has a higher level of education than her male counterpart but still failed to complete high school
sentence of less than two years
likely to be in prison for the first time
At 30 June 2015, the total operational capacity for Victorian prisons was 7,093 and had a utilisation rate of 90.5%.[ 57]
Western Australia
Prisons and correctional facilities in Western Australia are managed by the Department of Justice through public and private operators.
The main cell block of Fremantle Prison .
The gatehouse of Fremantle Prison by moonlight.
A typical cell in Fremantle Prison .
See also
Notes
References
^ "Alexander Maconochie Centre" . ACT Corrective Services . Australian Capital Territory: Justice and Community Safety Directorate. 29 March 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2012 .
^ Australian Capital Territory correctional facilities . 30 June 2009. Australian Institute of Criminology. Retrieved on 13 December 2011.
^ Treasury, ACT Government; PositionTitle=Director; SectionName=Corporate Management; Corporate=Chief Minister and (6 April 2015). "Temporary changes to the use of Symonston Correctional Centre" . cmd.act.gov.au . Retrieved 1 November 2016 . {{cite web }}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link )
^ "Correctional Centres" . Corrective Services NSW . Government of New South Wales. March 2012. Archived from the original on 25 June 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012 .
^ "Department of Prisons (1874-1970) Department of Corrective Services (1970-2009) - Subordinate Agencies" . State Records NSW . Government of New South Wales. 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2012 .
^ https://alburyhistory.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Albury-Gaol.pdf [bare URL PDF ]
^ "Heritage Futures Database" . hfrc.une.edu.au . Retrieved 26 June 2018 .
^ "Heritage & Culture" . visitbalranald.com.au . Retrieved 26 June 2018 .
^ "Horticulture program helps prison inmates develop skills" . ABC News. 25 September 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2018 .
^ "World Heritage List | Venue Hire Sydney | Cockatoo Island" . cockatooisland.gov.au . Retrieved 26 June 2018 .
^ a b c Jeremy, John (2005). Cockatoo Island : Sydney's historic dockyard . Sydney: UNSW Press. p. 5. ISBN 0868408174 . OCLC 60607127 .
^ "Braidwood, NSW - Aussie Towns" . Aussie Towns . Retrieved 26 June 2018 .
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^ a b c "Key moments in Penal Culture in NSW 1970 - present" . The Australian Prisons Project . The University of New South Wales. 2010. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2012 .
^ "Cooma Correctional Centre" . Corrective Services NSW. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2012 .
^ "Museum" . correctiveservices.justice.nsw.gov.au . 19 March 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2018 .
^ The Long Paddock: Cobb Highway Touring Route (2013). "Deniliquin Region" (PDF) . The long paddock . Retrieved 27 June 2018 .
^ a b c d e f g h "New South Wales correctional facilities" . Australian Government . Australian Institute of Criminology. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2011 .
^ "Getting Here | Old Dubbo Gaol" . olddubbogaol.com.au . Retrieved 27 June 2018 .
^ The Argus, 20 August 1938 p. 2 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12474439
^ a b "Error" .
^ "Grafton Gaol" . State Records Archives Investigator . Government of New South Wales. 8 May 1992. Retrieved 5 May 2012 .
^ NSW, Museums & Galleries. "Hay Gaol Museum" . Museums & Galleries NSW . Retrieved 27 June 2018 .
^ "Junee Correctional Centre: Reducing Reoffending through Innovation" . GEO Group Australia. Retrieved 10 April 2018 .
^ University, Find & Connect Web Resource Project, The University of Melbourne and Australian Catholic. "Keelong Juvenile Justice Centre - Organisation - Find & Connect - New South Wales" . findandconnect.gov.au . Retrieved 27 June 2018 . {{cite web }}
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^ Laurel Hill Forest Lodge . Retrieved on 13 December 2011.
^ "Narrabri Old Gaol and Museum" . Retrieved 27 June 2018 .
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^ Thematic History of Oberon Shire Archived 2 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine . Philippa Gemmell-Smith. 16 March 2004. Oberon Council.
^ "Correctional Centres" . correctiveservices.justice.nsw.gov.au . 19 March 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2018 .
^ "Parramatta Gaol Ghost Tours" . Parramatta Gaol Ghost Tours . Retrieved 27 June 2018 .
^ "HISTORY" . Parramatta Gaol Ghost Tours . Retrieved 6 July 2018 .
^ a b "Port Macquarie, NSW - Aussie Towns" . Aussie Towns . Retrieved 27 June 2018 .
^ "Juvenile justice centre overcrowding fears remain" . Australia: ABC News. 20 January 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2009 .
^ "New concept remand centre soon to open". The Daily Advertiser . 12 October 1984.
^ "South Coast Correctional Centre - Corrective Services NSW Website" . correctiveservices.justice.nsw.gov.au . 19 March 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2015 .
^ a b "Wagga's House of Correction" . On Record @ CSURA . 6 March 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2018 .
^ a b c "Old Wentworth Gaol | VisitWentworth" . visitwentworth.com.au . Retrieved 27 June 2018 .
^ "DEMOLITION OF WINDSOR GAOL" . Singleton Argus (NSW : 1880 - 1954) . 9 March 1936. p. 2. Retrieved 27 June 2018 .
^ "THE WOLLONGONG GAOL" . Retrieved 28 June 2018 .
^ "Australian Heritage Database" . environment.gov.au . Retrieved 28 June 2018 .
^ "Last teenaged escapees caught, breakout prompts Darwin juvenile detention centre move" . ABC News . 6 August 2014. Archived from the original on 7 August 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2023 .
^ "Overcrowding at Brisbane Women's Correctional Centre" . September 2016.
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^ "Prisons | SA History Hub" . sahistoryhub.com.au . Retrieved 1 July 2018 .
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^ a b "George Town FF" . femaleconvicts.org.au . Retrieved 1 July 2018 .
^ a b c d e "Key moments in Penal Culture in Tasmania 1970–present: Prisons" . Australian Prisons Project . University of New South Wales. 2010. Archived from the original on 28 October 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2012 .
^ "New Zealand investor buys Tasmania's Hayes Prison Farm for $2.2m" . ABC News. 20 January 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2018 .
^ "Female Factories" . femaleconvicts.org.au . Retrieved 1 July 2018 .
^ a b "Launceston FF" . femaleconvicts.org.au . Retrieved 1 July 2018 .
^ "Macquarie Harbour Penal Statio" . utas.edu.au . Retrieved 1 July 2018 .
^ "Maria Island: History" . Parks & Wildlife Service .
^ "Port Arthur, TAS - Aussie Towns" . Aussie Towns . Retrieved 1 July 2018 .
^ a b Alomes, [Squiz] Jon. "Ross Female Factory Historic Site" . Discover Tasmania . Retrieved 1 July 2018 .
^ "Saltwater River, TAS - Aussie Towns" . Aussie Towns . Retrieved 1 July 2018 .
^ a b c d e "Parliamentary report prisons September 2015" . Ombudsman Victoria . Ombudsman Victoria. September 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2017 .
^ "Home - Old Beechworth Gaol" . Old Beechworth Gaol . Retrieved 1 July 2018 .
^ "Old Castlemaine Gaol" . Old Castlemaine Gaol . Retrieved 1 July 2018 .
^ "Old meets new as prison becomes theatre" . ABC News. 19 January 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2018 .
^ a b Justice, Corrections Prisons Parole, Department of. "Langi Kal Kal Prison" . corrections.vic.gov.au . Retrieved 2 July 2018 . {{cite web }}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link )
^ Justice, Corrections Prisons Parole, Department of. "Loddon Prison Precinct" . corrections.vic.gov.au . Retrieved 2 July 2018 . {{cite web }}
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^ "New Sale Police station opens after years of planning" . ABC Gippsland Vic . 26 March 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2018 .
^ "Won Wron Prison Farm : Beyond Melbourne - Melbourne, Victorian & Australian Architecture Topics" . walkingmelbourne.com . Retrieved 2 July 2018 .
^ a b Melbourne, School of Historical Studies, Department of History, The University of. "Fairlea, HM Prison - Entry - eMelbourne - The Encyclopedia of Melbourne Online" . emelbourne.net.au . Retrieved 2 July 2018 . {{cite web }}
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^ Justice, Corrections Prisons Parole, Department of. "Tarrengower Prison" . corrections.vic.gov.au . Retrieved 2 July 2018 . {{cite web }}
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^ "French Island's former prison farm sells for several million dollars after three years on the market - realestate.com.au" . realestate.com.au . Retrieved 6 July 2018 .
^ "Turana - Summary" . Find & Connect . Retrieved 2 July 2018 .
^ Rooney, Kieran; Carmody, Broede (26 June 2024). "Port Phillip Prison to close as new Lara centre opens" . The Age . Retrieved 30 June 2024 .
^ "Photographic tour of Riverbank Detention Centre – where Bon Scott spent nine months" . Novel . 13 January 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2018 .
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