Kariong Juvenile Justice Centre

Kariong Juvenile Justice Centre at Kariong was built in 1991. It was the first purpose-built secure unit for young people who were deemed difficult to manage in other centres and those with a history of escape. It was also used for assessment purposes for young people charged with very serious offences. In 2004 Kariong was removed from the Department of Juvenile Justice and transferred to the adult correctional system and renamed Kariong Juvenile Correctional Centre.

Kariong was located near the former Mount Penang Juvenile Justice Centre which closed in 1999.

In 1999, an adjacent juvenile justice facility, Frank Baxter Detention Centre, was built in October 1999 for male offenders aged 16-21 who have generally been convicted of less serious offences. Kariong remained an institution for more serious juvenile offenders.

In 2000 the NSW Ombudsman tabled a report to Parliament of its investigation into events at Kariong in 1999, which criticised many aspects of the operation of the centre at that time. Another report by the Ombudsman was published in October 2011.

The Kariong and Frank Baxter Centres are located within the Mount Penang Parklands precinct.