New privately operated prison announced by NT government

The Northern Territory government has announced plans for a new prison that will be built and operated by a private company. 

In a statement this morning, the Chief Minster's office said the 1,200-bed men's "remand and intake centre" and 200-bed women's facility would be built adjacent to the existing Darwin Correctional Precinct at Holtze, which sits on Darwin's outskirts. 

The government said the men's prison would be delivered under the "tried and tested Public Private Partnership" whereby the private partner would "design, finance, build, operate and maintain the facility".

The statement added the women's facility would be "delivered by government as a design and construct tender" and operated by the Department of Corrections. 

"Treasury will now move to a formal EOI process with proponents capable of delivering the project from start to operation," the statement read.

"This process will take 12 months with a successful proponent to be contracted by the end of 2027."

Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said the corrections system was unable to keep up with demand.

"The Territory's correctional system has been neglected for 10 years and because of that requires major and urgent investment," she said.

"The fact is that you can't put a price on community safety."

Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley said the move would boost rehabilitation for prisoners and enhance community safety.

"All Corrections infrastructure, no matter who it is operated by, falls under my remit and responsibility so the community can rest assured that the quality and safeguards are high," Commissioner Varley said.

"This is an opportunity to build a correctional system designed for the future with better infrastructure, better prison management and better outcomes for community safety."

In a statement the United Workers Union condemned the CLP government's plan labelling it "one of the most reckless corrections policy decisions every proposed in the Northern Territory".

NT Secretary of the union, Erina Early added that privatising the operation of the men's facility was "not about improving outcomes" but about "allowing private corporations to profit from incarceration".

""A prison is not a commercial opportunity," Ms Early said.

"The deprivation of liberty is one of the most serious responsibilities of government and should never become a profit making exercise.

"Every dollar paid out as profit is a dollar not invested in correctional officers, rehabilitation programs, mental health services, prisoner education or community safety."

According to data from the Productivy Commission from February this year there are currently eight privately operated prisons in Australia, located across New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia.