There will be four more beds at the Port Augusta prison than the current largest facility, Yatala Labor Prison.

The project was designed to “future-proof” the state’s prison system, so it “has capacity to meet an increase in low, medium and high security prisoner numbers,” a Correctional Services Department spokesperson said.

Capacity would reach 472, with the addition of 80 beds in the new high-security cellblock.

Port Augusta Prison general manager Brenton Williams said there was preliminary work done to the facility to keep the site secure, and separate to the institution.

The current capacity at the prison is 392, which includes 352 medium and high security prisoners and 40 low security prisoners.

See this week's Transcontinental for more.