NSW prisoner complaints jump 60% to over 32,000 in a year
Complaints from NSW inmates rose 60 per cent to 32,168 in 2025-26, driven largely by growing remand populations and staff shortages.
Official Visitors to NSW prisons received 32,168 complaints in the year to June 30, 2026, a 60 per cent increase on the previous year. The rise comes as more people are being refused bail and held on remand, pushing the remand population up 32 per cent over three years.
A law professor said the complaint rate far exceeds the rise in inmate numbers, suggesting conditions have worsened. Common complaints included medical issues, unfair treatment, and lockdowns caused by short staffing.
Corrective Services NSW said more complaints can reflect greater confidence in the process, but Greens MP Sue Higginson linked the surge to populist law-and-order policies.
- 32,168
- Complaints filed
- 60 percent
- Increase from prior year
- 32 percent over three years
- Remand population rise
- 93
- Official Visitors appointed
Why it mattersRising complaints signal serious problems in prisons, affecting both inmates and their eventual return to the community.
AustraliaNSW residents are funding an overcrowded prison system under strain; experts warn that poor conditions may increase reoffending rather than improve public safety.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 3 h ago
