In 1949 the Department obtained by compulsory acquisition a 90 acres (36 ha) property on the eastern side of the Derwent River, not far from Risdon Cove where the initial European settlement of Tasmania occurred.

A special prison hospital was built in 1978, that houses persons suffering mental illness who are subject to the criminal justice system.

[3] Critics have called the design, which embodies concepts in prison architecture from the U.S., several decades out of date and unsuitable for Tasmania's temperate climate, particularly in winter.

[6] All prisoners were accommodated in single occupancy cells containing a toilet and hand basin with running water.

During construction, inmate populations increased, and Lewis's original plans were changed by adding 72 additional cells, halving the space devoted to exercise yards.

Treatment is based on individually tailored programs designed to support independence and dignity, and minimise the ill effects of long-term care.

Each unit has individual bedrooms, along with a two-bed "buddy" room, and common lounge, dining, toilet and shower facilities.

The Committee reported that the Corrective Services Division advised that between 1992 and 1997 the entire prison system had an average of between a total of 250 and 300 inmates spread through all the facilities.

[5] The Committee reported that the facility is "fundamentally inappropriate":[5] It operates as a series of cages and cells which open to exposed yards.

It is bleak, cold and grey and, even if a very large amount of money were to be spent on the facility, it is unlikely that it could ever conform to contemporary prison standards.

In March 2011 the Coroner found that in four of the five cases, management of the complex:[11] ...failed to provide a physical environment which would minimise the risk of self harm and a system of care which would recognise a vulnerability to suicide and actively promote steps to prevent it.The Ombudsman reported again, this time in 2010, when he initiated an investigation of his own accord following receipts of a number of complaints during 2007 and 2008 which made him concerned about the conditions under which the prisoners in the high risk management unit, called Tamar, were being held.

In his report, the Ombudsman commented that:[8] I was concerned that the conditions in Tamar might not be humane.Further, he found: that there is no formal practice for informing prisoners of the reasons for their placement in the unit, and that the management of the unit does not comply with national or international standards in this regard.that prisoners are not adequately informed about the rules and conditions which apply to them in the unit, and that this is not compliant with national standards.that prisoners have been held in the unit for indeterminate periods of time, on the basis of perceived dangerousness, and that this is incompatible with national standards and standards observed in other jurisdictions.that the BMP [Behavioural Management Program] has not always been applied consistently and objectively.that the monthly reviews of a prisoner's performance under the BMP are not carried out with procedural fairness, in that prisoners are not notified in advance of any perceived problem with their behaviour, are not therefore given a fair opportunity to respond, and are not given prior warning of a proposed sanction.

This circumstance is not humane, and does not meet standards adopted in the United Kingdom or standards promulgated by the Inspector of Custodial Services in WA, which in my view are indicative of proper practice.In 2010, Mick Palmer, a former Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, was requested by the Minister for Corrections and Consumer Protection, Nick McKim to undertake an inquiry into the Risdon Prison Complex, with the intention of providing the Government of Tasmania with impartial, objective and accurate advice on the complex's operations.

An investigative media report by the ABC Four Corners program highlighted that there have been at least 18 deaths in custody at Risdon in 12 years, the findings of the coronial inquiry, and the failure of successive governments to address problems at the centre.

In spite of this recommendation, in 2004 it was reported that young inmates were often sharing accommodation and shower facilities with convicted child sex offenders.

Some within the community argue that the current facility, programs and management of prisoners are actually counter productive in promoting rehabilitation of criminals or reducing crime.