Cessnock will be one of six communities receiving correctional assistance from the New South Wales government. The Liberal and Nationals are following through with their commitment to addressing the rising incarceration rate in NSW by implementing a $3.8 billion prison infrastructure program.
The program will deliver new facilities in Cessnock as well as upgrading already existing ones. It has also been confirmed that there will be entirely brand new projects at Cessnock, Bathurst, Silverwater and Windsor hopefully finished by 2021.
The program will result in around 2,000 employment opportunities with jobs ranging from academy training staff, Community Corrections, frontline correctional officers and psychologists. Minister for Corrections David Elliot says that in the last two years, 2,100 jobs have already been created so the new program will bump that up to 4,100.
The facilities will address prisoners both incarcerated and in the community, maximising security, safety and rehabilitation. Corrective Services NSW is also introducing new performance benchmarks to improve quality and accountability, which will certainly impact Cessnock's correctional facilities.
The intention of the program, as stated by Mr Elliot, is to reduce reoffending, improve infrastructure and institute cutting-edge technologies such as phone jamming.
 |
| Source: ABC News |
