A 19-year-old man has died in a unit at Sydney’s Long Bay correctional centre, a facility that an independent watchdog had previously recommended be closed because it “simply cannot provide a safe environment”.
Incident Details
The young man, who was on remand awaiting a hearing or sentencing, took his own life on Sunday in the Metropolitan Special Programs Centre (MSPC). Corrective Service NSW confirmed that staff commenced a medical response, but he was pronounced deceased by paramedics. Both Corrective Services NSW and NSW police are investigating the death, which has been reported to the NSW coroner for a compulsory public inquiry.
Watchdog’s Warning
In December, the inspector of custodial services, Fiona Rafter, recommended the permanent closure of three out of five units at Long Bay, including the MSPC, following inspections in 2023 and 2024. The report described the MSPC rooms as run-down and small, with little natural light or ventilation. Accommodation wings were noted as “susceptible to weather conditions and extreme temperatures”. Rafter observed “mouldy walls, rusted furniture and evidence of vermin”, as well as “ligature points in cells across all areas”. She concluded that “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”.
Government Response
Corrective Services provided its formal response to the report in early March, but it has not yet been made public. The department has an existing $16 million program, initiated in the 2023-24 financial year, to remove all ligature points from cells across the correctional system over four years. A Guardian Australia investigation last year revealed that there had been 10 hanging deaths from two hanging points at Long Bay between 1995 and 2017. Corrective services stated that mesh screens had now been installed in “several wings at Long Bay”.
Political Reaction
Sue Higginson, the Greens justice spokesperson, expressed being “absolutely broken” by the news. She had moved a motion in NSW parliament in February to close the MSPC and other units, but the government blocked it, stating that keeping them open was putting “lives at risk”. The minister for corrections, Anoulack Chanthivong, declined to comment while an investigation is ongoing.
Broader Context
Last year, New South Wales recorded a record number of adults held on remand, a record number of Indigenous adults in custody, and a record number of Indigenous deaths in custody. In 2025, there have been 39 deaths in custody in NSW, of which 12 were First Nations people—also a record high. Twenty-two per cent of all deaths were by hanging, despite significant investment in removing ligature points.
If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 (Australia), Samaritans on 116 123 (UK and Ireland), or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US).
