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The NSW Government says there will be a major overhaul to the state’s correctional system with the goal of improving the management of the prison population. Among the changes, the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre will now operate 24/7.

The Minns government announced a series of reforms to the correctional system in New South Wales on Thursday. According to the government, these changes will improve the movement management of inmates, as well as maintain a safer and more efficient correctional system.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said, “The first responsibility of any government is keeping the community safe, and that means ensuring serious and violent offenders are held accountable and kept off our streets.”

In the current system, the state’s main reception centre, the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre (MRRC), stops accepting inmates in the afternoon, forcing the police to hold prisoners who had their bail refused until there’s space available.

Under the new arrangements, the MRRC will start operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from 1 October 2026, allowing police to transfer bail-refused people at any time and freeing up space in police cells across metropolitan Sydney.

 “More offenders are being held on remand, and more serious criminals are being taken off our streets, including perpetrators of domestic and family violence,” said Minister for Corrections Anoulack Chanthivong.

“That’s a positive outcome for community safety, and these changes will support the system by improving efficiency across our correctional centres and ensuring resources are being used where they will have the greatest impact.”

As a result of the new hours of operation of the MRRC, the Amber Lauren Correctional Centre will cease operations. Other changes proposed by the government include reverting the Mary Wade Correctional Centre to its original purpose as an all-female detention centre.

Corrective Services NSW Commissioner, Gary McCahon PSM, concluded, “This plan represents a bold and crucial step toward building a correctional system that recognises and responds to the unique needs and experiences of people entering custody.”

Criminal lawyer and Principal Solicitor of the Shopfront Youth Legal Centre Jane Sanders told LSJ Online she’s waiting for more details. “Currently, people refused bail are sent to either Surry Hills or Amber Laurel, where the facilities are terrible,” she explains. “It’s very difficult to speak to your client there (…), and it’s not unusual for somebody to be held [in those two facilities] for several days because of lack of capacity in other correctional centres.

“If the new facilities at the MRRC [improve] access to our clients, that will be good. (…) I would hope it’s got better facilities, better staff, and that there might be access to the clinic as well as help screening of people who just come into custody. I’m hoping it will be better, but the devil’s in the details.”

Sanders also welcomed the decision to return the Mary Wade Centre to an all-women facility. “The centre was originally (purpose-built) as a juvenile detention centre for girls and young women. Twenty years ago, it was a good facility, certainly better and newer than a lot of prisons in New South Wales. Hopefully it will be better for the women in prison.”