Minister visits, questions remain as government takeover of Junee jail begins

It is the first time the government will execute a transition of this kind, which is expected to be completed by April 2025.

The prison's operator GEO Group Australia revealed in November the government would not be renewing its contract.

GEO remains Junee's biggest employer and has operated the facility since its opening in 1993, providing support to several not-for-profit organisations over the decades.

On Wednesday, Minister for Corrections Anoulack Chanthivong visited the town - and jail - for the first time since the decision was made public.

In November, just days after the deprivatisation announcement, Nationals MLC Bronnie Taylor grilled Mr Chanthivong during a budget estimates hearing at NSW Parliament about whether he had ever visited the Junee jail.

At the time, the minister refused to answer the question directly, before eventually declaring he would travel to the town "in due course".

In Junee on Wednesday, Mr Chanthivong said the correctional facility would be better operated through public ownership, enabling it access to NSW Health and Justice Health.

Concerns around health care provided to inmates arose following the death of inmate Reuben Button, who died from ischaemic heart disease on September 3, 2020.

An inquest into Mr Button's death was held and its findings were handed down in July 2023.

The findings found Mr Button's death was hampered by significant resourcing issues at Junee Correctional Centre and systemic factors including long wait periods for specialist appointments, lack of access to an Aboriginal Liaison Officer and/or Aboriginal Health worker, lack of access to specialist health services, and the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on inmate transfers between correctional centres.

"By bringing Junee into the wider corrections family there will also be access to NSW Health and Justice Health," Mr Chanthivong said.

The minister said current staff were being encouraged to continue on in their roles, but they will be required to go through an application process.

"There will be a 14-month transition period, we have an onsite team here right here in Junee to provide information and advice to staff as we go through this important transition process," he said.

"We will continue to engage with the community as part of this process.

"Being part of the wider correctives services family is an important part to ... provide secure, stable employment to the staff, better paying jobs and to be able to allow staff the opportunity to move in and around the corrective services network."

Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke called on Mr Chanthivong to address questions she believed remain unanswered around job security and if the government would match GEO's community contributions.

"I have been calling for the minister to come out to Junee right from the get go when this community was blind-sided by the announcement of the state government," Ms Cooke said.

"The idea this was something in the pipeline in the lead up to the last election was never ever made clear to this community.

"I have called together community leaders, organisations who have greatly benefited from GEO over a very long time and it will be their opportunity to tell the minister what those contributions have been and how vital they are to the ongoing operations.

"We need to make sure the staff and inmates that are here at this facility are absolutely looked after. This is a very, very difficult time for them."

Ms Cooke wanted to know if the government would also be taking over the role GEO had played in giving back to the community.

"Just last weekend we saw 11 $1000 scholarships offered to local kids to pursue their education - what will happen to that going forward?" she said.

"This year we have the annual Junee Poker Run. It is a fixture on this community's calendar and raises much-needed funds for Can Assist and the families it supports, what will it look like for those organisations going forward?

"Those are the questions the minister needs to answer."

NSW Corrective Services Deputy Commissioner Leon Taylor said the 14-month transition period commenced last week and was a "complex" process.

"We are working this through, it has never been performed before within government," he said.