SHANE Rattenbury has officially opened the new Accommodation Unit as the Alexander Maconochie Centre’s (AMC’s) Accommodation Expansion Project concludes.

The project has been completed four months ahead of schedule and $7million under budget.

“CityNews” photographer Andrew Finch attended the opening and was able to take these rare photographs of the interior of Canberra’s prison.

The AMC is our prison. It is operated and managed on our behalf and in our names. Photo: Andrew Finch

AMC. Photograph by Andrew Finch

AMC. Photograph by Andrew Finch

AMC. Photo: Andrew Finch

AMC. Photograph by Andrew Finch

AMC. Photograph by Andrew Finch

AMC. Photograph by Andrew Finch

AMC. Photograph by Andrew Finch

AMC. Photo: Andrew Finch

AMC. Photograph by Andrew Finch

AMC. Photograph by Andrew Finch

AMC. Photo: by Andrew Finch

AMC. Photo: Andrew Finch.

Shane says the new Accommodation Unit provides the AMC with an additional 112 beds, which will help to ease overcrowding issues. These new facilities, along with the Special Care Centre, which has capacity for double-bunking, will bring the total capacity of the AMC to 539 beds, up from 370 prior to this project.

“I have been really pleased with the successful management and delivery of this project, and was particularly excited to announce earlier this year that savings from the project will be used to fund the development of prison industries within the AMC,” Shane said.

“This expansion project is part of a multi-pronged approach to address the increasing population pressures that we have been experiencing over recent months and years. While in the short term we needed to expand the physical space within the AMC, we have also been working on strategies to reduce the number of people going in to the prison and the number of people reoffending post-release.

“This includes work within the Justice Reform Strategy, which is focussed on enhancing the legal framework for sentencing and restorative justice as well as programs such as Throughcare, which supports detainees as they transition back into the community and programs that detainees can engage with during their sentence that address specific issues or behaviours.

“The design of the new facility will enhance program delivery within the prison, allowing detainees to participate in programs within their accommodation building, reducing the need for them to move across prison grounds to access programs.

“Through a flexible approach to design, these facilities have features that will improve separation and segregation capabilities with a greater choice about where to place detainees and who to place them with.

“The expansion of industries within the AMC will also support rehabilitation efforts in providing structure and opportunities for detainees to participate in meaningful work and training, helping them to develop skills they can utilise post-release.

“The industries project will involve the construction of a multi-purpose facility build next to the existing oval, an expanded laundry, a bakery and some other industry spaces that could be used for such things as recycling processing.

“The new facility is a credit to ACT Corrective Services, the Justice and Community Safety Capital Works and Infrastructure Unit and to the project’s managing contractor, Construction Control.

“I commend the staff and management of the AMC for their success in addressing challenges such as detainee placement and bed availability over the past few years,” said Mr Rattenbury.