Speaking at a press conference announcing the handback, Mr Minns said “the PSA has been consistent on this matter for many, many years”.

Acknowledging it was a Labor Party decision to privatised the gaol, in Sydney’s north-western suburbs, Mr Minns singled out the for its PSA role.

“They’ve argued for over a decade that the best way of ensuring the public gets value for money for correctional services, and we’re focusing on rehabilitation services and public safety, is to bring these services into public hands,” said the Premier.  

On 2 March 2025, the State Government announced Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) would operate Parklea Correctional Centre from October 2026. This follows the decision last year to move the operation of Junee Correctional Centre from a private to operator to CSNSW. Junee will be in public hands from 1 April 2025.

Speaking at the press conference outside Parklea, PSA General Secretary Stewart Little said his union “absolutely applauds this decision”.

He praised the Minns Government for its move in listening to the PSA and moving the two prisons moving to public hands.

“Corrective services is an integral part of the criminal justice system,” he said. “It’s no different to the police of the courts; it plays a pivotal role in that system.

“You would not countenance for a moment privatising the police of the courts. Why on earth would we do that to a correctional centre?

Mr Little said the Parklea decision is good news for the community and is certainly good news for the union’s members who work in the prison. They will be better paid and work in safer conditions once they are employed in the state-wide corrections system.

“It’s good news for the taxpayer, who will no longer be propping up outsourcing giants such as MTC that operate to benefit overseas shareholders rather than the people of NSW,” he said Mr Little.

“The PSA will always campaign against the sell-offs that have done so much damage to our state. We will continue to fight for the return to government control of the services privatised in the reckless frenzy of sell-offs under the O’Farrell, Baird, Berejiklian and Perrottet governments.

“For years we have been telling the state that privatisation hurts everyone. We are glad we have a government that is listening to us.”