In South Australia there are nine adult prisons (officially called correctional institutions) in operation.
While the Adelaide Remand Centre is the principal place for prisoners who are held on remand, it also holds sentenced prisoners and various of the other prisons hold both remand and sentenced prisoners.
The following is a brief description of the current capacity of, and the classes of prisoners held in, these institutions:
The Chief Executive of the Department may make rules for the prison [see Correctional Services Act 1982 s 83]. Breaches of these rules are not offences carrying punishment, see Breaches of regulations.
The Minister for Correctional Services must arrange for prisons to be inspected regularly [Correctional Services Act 1982 s 20(1)]. An inspector has an unrestricted right of entry to any part of a prison and can ask anyone any questions concerning the prison and the treatment of the prisoners [see Correctional Services Act 1982 s 20(4)].
Prisoners are entitled to make complaints to an inspector, which the inspector must investigate. The inspector must send a report on the complaint and may make recommendations to the Minister [see Correctional Services Act 1982 s 20(6)].
All judges and magistrates are entitled to inspect a prison at any reasonable time [see Correctional Services Act 1982 s 87].