Karnet Prison Farm is a minimum-security prison for adult males, with a focus on preparing prisoners to re-enter the community. Karnet is a working farm, and a vital link in the Department of Justice’s food supply chain. The farm includes an abattoir and dairy, and produces fresh meat, milk, eggs, fruit, and vegetables for the wider prison system. These areas also provide opportunity for prisoner employment and training.
Karnet was originally commissioned as a prison in 1963, known as the Karnet Rehabilitation Training Centre. At that time, it held around 60 men. In 2019, the operational capacity of the prison was 366.
Karnet traditionally holds a significant cohort of minimum-security rated sex offenders. Unlike other prisons, they are not held in protection, and all prisoners placed at the prison must agree to accept this arrangement. The cohabitation of sex offenders and mainstream prisoners can however, cause tension.