Inmate complaints surge 60 per cent amid lockdowns and device shortages

Inmate complaints about NSW prisons have skyrocketed in the past year, according to the latest annual report by the state's prisons inspector.

Official Visitors to NSW prisons reported 32,168 complaints in the year to June 30, 2026, a 60 per cent increase on the previous year.

The surge in complaints to independent authorities comes as the state's prison population continues to rise, driven by more people being refused bail and held on remand.

Corrections Minister Anoulack Chanthivong declined an interview, but a Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) spokeswoman said that "an increase in complaints is not necessarily an indicator of worsening conditions".

"It can also reflect a larger inmate population, [an] increase in visits from Official Visitors and confidence in the independent processes available to raise concerns and seek assistance," she said.

University of Technology Sydney law professor Thalia Anthony said the figures left her "completely astonished … because the rate of complaints far exceeds the increase in people in prison".

"There are grounds for people in prison to feel that their conditions are worsening, but I didn't expect this level of escalation of complaints," she said.

Lock-ins and law changes

Prisoner complaints are made in person to Official Visitors, who are independent community representatives appointed by the corrections minister.

There are 93 Official Visitors appointed to examine conditions in adult and youth justice centres, take enquiries and complaints, and submit reports to the NSW government.

In 2025-26, medical issues were the most complained about topic.

Complaints about unfair treatment, tablet computers and correctional centre routine surged over the past year, with the annual report stating that one of the biggest sources of complaint was lock-ins or lockdowns.

"Short staffing and the subsequent impact of inmate lock-ins have been further compounded by the limited availability of functioning tablets and the cost of phone calls," the report stated.

Greens justice spokesperson Sue Higginson said she believed an additional factor in the "explosion" in complaints was a 2025 law change to lower the standard of proof when disciplining inmates.

"We know that inmates were being accused of things they hadn't done and then being really punished," she said.

"The complaint system is where these grievances ultimately end up."

Ms Higginson said the rise was indicative of the "populist law and order approach" from the Minns government.

"You see an increased prison population in centres that are not fit for purpose; of course the complaints are going to rise," she said.

The report stated "the vast majority of complaints … were resolved at the centre level," with only a small number referred to the Commissioner of CSNSW.

A CSNSW spokeswoman said that Official Visitors fulfilled an "important function to ensure our correctional system remains open, fair, and transparent".

Remand raises pressure

Remand populations have risen significantly, following the tightening of bail laws for those accused of serious domestic violence offences.

According to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Applied Research (BOCSAR), in the three years to 2026, there has been a 32 per cent increase in prisoners held on remand.

Public Service Association NSW general secretary Stewart Little estimated there were around 7,000 people currently held on remand in a prison population of approximately 14,200.

"It means that there's a lot of pressure whenever you've got a large number of remandees coming into the system," he said.

"Often they're affected by drug or alcohol or other substance abuse; they require legal visits and they require a lot of assistance."

In September, the government announced it would reopen the mothballed Dawn de Loas Correctional Centre at Silverwater and fast-track adding extra beds at Parklea Correctional Centre to meet the growing population.

But Professor Anthony said without hiring more staff, the prison system would be remain strained.

"I think it's incumbent on the Minns government to look at these rising complaints and ask whether prison is the right place for these people," she said.

"By providing inhumane conditions, by mistreating people in prison, we are setting them up to return to the community more disgruntled, more disengaged with the system and institutions.