10 signatures reached
To: NSW Premier Mike Baird and the NSW Attorney-General
Keep our gaols public!
We call on the NSW Government to maintain Grafton gaol in public hands and to commit to any newly built facility being publicly owned and managed.
Why is this important?
The recent re-opening of the Grafton jail was a welcome announcement by the Baird Government following its sudden closure in 2012 that resulted in 100 local job losses.
While the influx of new and previous workers will be a much needed boost to the local economy at a time of high unemployment, there remains serious concerns over plans for the new facility. When built it will be privately operated.
Private prisons are bad for public safety, bad for the economy, and bad for the communities in which they are based.
Myriad of American research has proven that private prisons are unsafe, have significantly lower staffing levels than publicly operated prisons and a higher rate of assaults on staff and inmates.
The same logic that motivates companies to operate prisons more efficiently also encourages them to cut corners at the expense of workers, prisoners and the public. Every cent they do not spend on food, health care or training for guards is a cent they can pocket.
It is not desirable or appropriate for parts of the justice system to be outsourced to private companies. Stop the Americanisation of our justice system by ensuring no more privatisation of our gaols.