A 19-year-old man has died in a Sydney prison unit that an independent watchdog previously recommended be closed because it "simply cannot provide a safe environment."
The man, who was on remand awaiting a hearing or sentencing, died by hanging on Sunday in Long Bay Correctional Centre's Metropolitan Special Programs Centre (MSPC).
Corrective Services NSW stated that staff initiated a medical response, but he was pronounced dead by paramedics. The death is under investigation by Corrective Services NSW and NSW Police. Any death in custody is immediately reported to the NSW coroner and subject to a public inquiry.
Last year, New South Wales saw record numbers of adults on remand and Indigenous adults in custody, along with a record number of Indigenous deaths in custody.
In December, the inspector of custodial services recommended the permanent closure of three out of five units at Long Bay, including the MSPC, following inspections in 2023 and 2024. The report described the MSPC rooms as run-down and small, with poor natural light and ventilation, and noted that accommodation wings were vulnerable to weather and extreme temperatures. Inspector Fiona Rafter observed "mouldy walls, rusted furniture and evidence of vermin," as well as "ligature points in cells across all areas." She wrote that the age and condition of MSPC meant it could not provide a safe environment, particularly for those with disabilities, age-related frailty, or mental illness, and recommended its closure.
Corrections provided its formal response to the report in early March, which is not yet publicly available.
There have been 39 deaths in custody in NSW in 2025, with 12 being Indigenous people—a record high. Twenty-two percent of overall deaths were by hanging, despite significant investment to remove ligature points. The department has a $16 million program underway since the 2023-24 financial year to remove all ligature points from cells over four years.
A Guardian Australia investigation last year found 10 hanging deaths from two hanging points at Long Bay between 1995 and 2017. Corrective services said at the time that mesh screens had been installed in several wings.
Greens justice spokesperson Sue Higginson expressed devastation over the death. She had moved in NSW parliament in February to close the MSPC and other units, but the motion was blocked by the government. She stated that keeping them open put "lives at risk."
The minister for corrections, Anoulack Chanthivong, declined to comment due to the ongoing investigation.
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org.
