The Wire

NSW prison officers are planning to stop work from 10 tonight, in protest over speculation that the government will privatize the Parklea and Cessnock correctional facilities. The prisons, as well as sections of prisoner transport, are being “market tested” for privatization- that is, the government is working out what it would cost if prisons were run privately. The NSW Public Service Association is the union that represents prison officers- General Secretary, John Cahill, is concerned that the sale of the prisons will be incorporated into the November mini-budget.