Health · Healthcare & Policy · 5 hrs ago
Psychiatrists call for changes to mental health care in NSW prisons
Australia’s peak psychiatrists’ body is calling for changes to mental health care in NSW prisons.
It says people at risk of suicide need close support from health workers, rather than being isolated in so-called safe cells.
Psychiatrists say health workers should assess and monitor prisoners with serious mental illness, rather than relying on correctional officers who are not trained for that work.
The calls follow an ABC investigation into deaths after prisoners were isolated; 48 NSW coronial inquests since 2015 identified care or supervision failures involving people with mental illness, including 14 cases involving Indigenous people.
The psychiatrists want Justice Health to take the lead on care and want more people with severe mental illness diverted from prison into treatment.
Mental health advocates say years of under-investment in community care have contributed to the crisis, with internal NSW Health documents estimating a $600 million yearly shortfall for frontline mental health staff.
The sources describe calls for change, but do not say whether NSW will adopt them.
Australia’s peak psychiatrists’ body has backed calls to overhaul mental health care in New South Wales prisons.
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists’ NSW branch says health workers, not correctional officers, should assess and monitor prisoners with serious mental illness.
Psychiatrists have called for an end to isolating suicidal prisoners in “safe cells” and for people at risk to receive close clinical support.
The ABC reported that 48 NSW coronial inquests since 2015 identified failures in the care or supervision of people with mental illness.
Fourteen of those inquests concerned the death of an Indigenous person.
- Who
- The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists’ NSW branch and psychiatrists including Dr Ian Korbel and Dr Kerri Eagle.
- What
- They are calling for changes to mental health care in NSW prisons, including an end to isolating suicidal prisoners in safe cells.
- When
- The article was published on November 10, 2026. Dr Eagle made her call earlier that week.
- Where
- New South Wales prisons, Australia.
- Why
- The calls follow reports of deaths and failures in the care or supervision of prisoners with mental illness.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Internal NSW Health documents were released that estimated a $600 million annual shortfall for frontline mental health staff.
The ABC reported that 48 NSW coronial inquests since 2015 had identified failures in care or supervision of people with mental illness.
Forensic psychiatrist Dr Kerri Eagle called for Justice Health to lead the management of mentally ill prisoners.
The RANZCP’s NSW branch backed calls to transform mental health care in NSW prisons.
- Coronial inquests
- 48 since 2015 identified failures in care or supervision
- Indigenous deaths
- 14 of the 48 inquests related to an Indigenous person’s death
- Safe cell isolation
- Tammy Shipley spent 10 nights in a monitored safe cell before dying from water intoxication
- Mental health staffing shortfall
- $600 million a year, according to internal NSW Health documents
What people are saying
Safe cells are a custodial response rather than a health response
I've worked in the prison system myself, I've seen that we have many caring and good guards that work in the system too, but they're not trained to deal with the sorts of psychiatric problems that we're seeing in prison
It is not appropriate for Corrective Services to be managing those health conditions because their goals are security and law enforcement