Super-jail alternative carries $5b price tag

Five more prisons will have to be built by 2024 at a cost of $5 billion if the idea of constructing a super-jail to house all inmates is abandoned, according to government sources.

They said the prison population was expected to increase from 12,000 to 15,000 by 2024. 'The two biggest problems we face are the ageing of the existing institutions and overcrowding,' one official said.

The SAR's 24 institutions, which provide 11,000 places, have an overcrowding rate of 11 per cent. Eighteen were built more than 20 years ago, including Victoria Prison (159 years old) and Stanley Prison (63 years old). Eight were not purpose-built.

It would take 20 years for a super-jail to come into full operation, including 10 years of planning, design and construction. A government source said if the idea was not pursued, five more prisons would need to be built at a cost of $5 billion, providing 3,800 places and requiring an extra 1,600 prison officers.

The source did not say how much investment was needed for a super-jail, but conceded the figure was 'huge' - over $5 billion. But costs could be cut in the long term as some facilities could be shared and management streamlined.

Another advantage of having a super-jail was that the existing 24 prisons on 15 sites - which occupy a total of 134.8 hectares - could be made available for redevelopment. But the source insisted the proposal was not prompted by a desire to redevelop the sites.