Arabic version: ارتفاع شكاوى سجناء نيو ساوث ويلز بنسبة 60 في المئة

According to ABC News, complaints made by NSW prisoners to Official Visitors rose 60 per cent in 2025-26, reaching 32,168 in the year to June 30, 2026. The increase was reported in the latest annual report from the NSW Inspector of Custodial Services as the state’s prison population continued to grow.

Corrective Services NSW said a higher number of complaints did not necessarily mean conditions had worsened. A spokeswoman said the figure could reflect a larger inmate population, more visits by Official Visitors and confidence in independent processes for raising concerns and seeking assistance. The report said the vast majority of complaints were resolved at the correctional-centre level, with only a small number referred to the CSNSW commissioner.

Medical issues were the most common subject of complaints in 2025-26. Complaints about unfair treatment, tablet computers and correctional-centre routines also increased. The report identified lock-ins or lockdowns as one of the biggest sources of concern, stating that short staffing and the resulting lock-ins had been compounded by limited functioning tablets and the cost of phone calls.

University of Technology Sydney law professor Thalia Anthony said she was astonished because the complaint rate exceeded the growth in the number of people in prison. Greens justice spokesperson Sue Higginson also linked the rise to an increase in remand prisoners and to a 2025 change that lowered the standard of proof for disciplining inmates.

NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Applied Research data showed a 32 per cent increase in prisoners held on remand in the three years to 2026. Public Service Association NSW general secretary Stewart Little estimated about 7,000 people were on remand within a prison population of about 14,200. In September, the government announced plans to reopen the Dawn de Loas Correctional Centre at Silverwater and fast-track extra beds at Parklea Correctional Centre.