Plans for new jail for extremists announced

On Sunday NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced $47 million in funding to build a new jail within Goulburn’s SuperMax prison for radicalised inmates as part of next week’s budget. The announcement was made alongside alongside counter-terrorism and corrections minister David Elliott, and treasurer Dominic Perrottet. 

The plans for the new prison, dubbed “MiniMax”, mean that other prisoners wouldn’t be in contact with extremists, and therefore at a risk of becoming indoctrinated themselves. 

Attorney-General George Brandis voiced his approval of the plan to Sky News.

“So long as the way in which these prisons are designed and configured doesn’t mean all the terrorists are together in each others company reinforcing each other’s ideology,” he said.

“I would suggest to my NSW counterparts a proposal like that has to work hand in glove with effective deradicalisation programs.”

The plan has been supported by Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, as a means to prevent other prisoners potentially being radicalised by extremists. 

“We don’t want people within the prison environment indoctrinated, being converted into a radical form of Islam,” Dutton told media in Canberra.

“We don”t want these people coming out a bigger threat than when they went into jail.”

He encouraged other state leaders to follow suit. 

Do you think a separate prison for extremists is a good idea?