Extra 1,000 prison beds announced in NSW as union warns against arresting ‘our way out of domestic violence’

Key points

• The NSW government will spend $47.1 million to reopen part of Sydney’s Silverwater jail, adding 515 beds by early next year. This follows a surge in prisoners awaiting trial after domestic violence bail laws were tightened.
• The government also plans to add 360 beds at Parklea correctional centre, increasing the state’s prison capacity by nearly 1,000 beds.
• The prison officers’ union warns that more prison beds alone will not solve the domestic violence crisis.