Boom, bust, churn: Prison closure and prison expansion in New South Wales, Australia.
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| Title: | Boom, bust, churn: Prison closure and prison expansion in New South Wales, Australia. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Blatman, Naama1 (AUTHOR) n.blatman@unsw.edu.au, Markham, Francis2 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Environment & Planning A. Jun2026, Vol. 58 Issue 4, p585-602. 18p. |
| Subjects: | Prison system, Prison reform, Correctional institutions, Detention facilities |
| Geographic Terms: | New South Wales, Australia |
| Abstract: | This paper argues that rather than signalling contraction, prison closures can operate to restructure prison systems for further growth. Focusing on New South Wales (NSW), Australia, we analyse the closure and downsizing of four prisons in 2011–2012 and their relationship to a $3.8 billion prison construction programme launched just a few years later. We draw on Gilmore's concept of the carceral 'spatial fix' to show how closures reorganised the state's prison system by transforming surplus carceral capacity into fiscal capacity and creating political and economic space for new mega-prisons. The paper develops the concept of 'prison churn'—the rapid and cyclical reworking of prison infrastructure—as a temporal mechanism through which the prison fix is operationalised. We trace the prison churn in NSW, which included prison closure, downsizing, reopening, redevelopment, and decommissioning through case studies of four prisons. The case studies illustrate how each decision taken by the state was shaped by competing, local priorities such as urban rent extraction and the desires for cheap prison labour and employment for prison staff in the regions. Our analysis reframes infrastructural restructuring as a crisis management tool that entrenches, rather than diminishes, carceral state power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Environment & Planning A is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: egs DbLabel: Engineering Source An: 194258056 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Boom, bust, churn: Prison closure and prison expansion in New South Wales, Australia. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Blatman%2C+Naama%22">Blatman, Naama</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> n.blatman@unsw.edu.au</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Markham%2C+Francis%22">Markham, Francis</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Environment+%26+Planning+A%22">Environment & Planning A</searchLink>. Jun2026, Vol. 58 Issue 4, p585-602. 18p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Prison+system%22">Prison system</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Prison+reform%22">Prison reform</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Correctional+institutions%22">Correctional institutions</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Detention+facilities%22">Detention facilities</searchLink> – Name: SubjectGeographic Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22New+South+Wales%22">New South Wales</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Australia%22">Australia</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: This paper argues that rather than signalling contraction, prison closures can operate to restructure prison systems for further growth. Focusing on New South Wales (NSW), Australia, we analyse the closure and downsizing of four prisons in 2011–2012 and their relationship to a $3.8 billion prison construction programme launched just a few years later. We draw on Gilmore's concept of the carceral 'spatial fix' to show how closures reorganised the state's prison system by transforming surplus carceral capacity into fiscal capacity and creating political and economic space for new mega-prisons. The paper develops the concept of 'prison churn'—the rapid and cyclical reworking of prison infrastructure—as a temporal mechanism through which the prison fix is operationalised. We trace the prison churn in NSW, which included prison closure, downsizing, reopening, redevelopment, and decommissioning through case studies of four prisons. The case studies illustrate how each decision taken by the state was shaped by competing, local priorities such as urban rent extraction and the desires for cheap prison labour and employment for prison staff in the regions. Our analysis reframes infrastructural restructuring as a crisis management tool that entrenches, rather than diminishes, carceral state power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Environment & Planning A is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=egs&AN=194258056 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1177/0308518X261422096 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 18 StartPage: 585 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Prison system Type: general – SubjectFull: Prison reform Type: general – SubjectFull: Correctional institutions Type: general – SubjectFull: Detention facilities Type: general – SubjectFull: New South Wales Type: general – SubjectFull: Australia Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Boom, bust, churn: Prison closure and prison expansion in New South Wales, Australia. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Blatman, Naama – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Markham, Francis IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 06 Text: Jun2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 0308518X Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 58 – Type: issue Value: 4 Titles: – TitleFull: Environment & Planning A Type: main |
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