The New South Wales prison inspector has called on the Minns government to permanently shut parts of Long Bay Correctional Centre. These sections house inmates with high needs but are “incapable of providing safe and humane conditions.” The watchdog’s report covered areas visited in 2023 and 2024. Long Bay holds about 1,200 inmates and has hospital and aged inmate support facilities. While one hospital section was described as “modern” and “fit for purpose,” another was found to look nothing like a hospital and held remand inmates. The Metropolitan Special Programs Centre (MSPC), built partly in 1909, helps aged, frail, and disabled inmates, and runs programs for violent and sex offenders. However, the MSPC is “dilapidated, unsafe, and not fit for purpose,” said Inspector Fiona Rafter. She recommended closing both the MSPC and the poor hospital section permanently. Rafter added, “The age and condition of MSPC means it simply cannot provide a safe environment for people in custody, particularly those with needs arising from disability, age and frailty and mental illness.” She said the physical state of the units hinders inmate care and rehabilitation. The report noted that some units were temporarily closed but reopened despite problems. “We believe the temporary closures should have been permanent,” Rafter wrote. Both buildings had dangerous ligature points linked to 10 hanging deaths between 1995 and 2017. The report praised recent government efforts to improve care for inmates with disabilities but said suitable housing for elderly prisoners is urgently needed. The watchdog also found staff were not following policies to properly manage transgender and intersex inmates. Finally, it found few changes in programs for violent and sex offenders since 2020.