Inmates are returning to Wellington Correctional Centre, following the gaol’s $38 million refurbishment made urgent by the 2021 mice plague. 

In June 2021 Corrective Services NSW made the call to vacate the gaol after mice chewed through internal wiring and destroyed ceilings, air conditioning and wall panels.

Up to 200 staff and 420 inmates were relocated, spread among nine other prisons, and have remained there for around nine months while the work was done to address the situation.

The refurbishment included not only necessary repairs, but also upgrades, says a NSW Corrective Services spokeswoman.  

"These improvements contribute to our goal of reducing reoffending by lifting the overall working and living conditions at the centre," she says. 

"They also create an environment that is safer and more conducive to adult learning and program completion." 

The recent improvements include an upgrade to the Intensive Learning Centre, and a new Corrective Services Industries bakery. 

The enhanced facilities will not only improve living conditions, but also reinforce security following a riot within the corrections centre in 2020. The riot saw guards injured, and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage to the facilities, a manager told Nine's Australia Behind Bars. 

A new security monitoring room, and additional security cameras will ensure safety for both inmates and staff. 

With approximately 449 of inmates in NSW being from the Far West and Orana region, the Wellington Correctional Centre hosts a large proportion of the incarcerated demographic. 

The refurbishment of the gaol also aimed to inject money into the Far West and Orana economy, by employing local trades to conduct the work. 

Member for the Dubbo Electorate and Minister for Western NSW, Dugald Saunders commended the involvement of local businesses. 

"The prison is at the heart of our community as a proud employer in the region, so hiring locally was a fantastic way to give back and inject vital funds into our area," says Mr Saunders. 

The initial relocation of inmates had to be conducted within ten days for health and safety, but offenders will be moved back in over a five week period that began on 18 March to ensure security, from minimum to maximum security inmates.

Minister for Corrections Geoff Lee said the project aimed to not only enhance existing facilities but should future-proof the centre against future plagues.