Maitland Gaol is the longest continuously operating correctional institution in New South Wales. After holding some of Australia's most hardened criminals, it closed on the 29 January 1998 and any remaining inmates were transferred to other prisons. The closure of the complex was announced in 1996 as part of an upgrade to the state's prison system. The site is now operated as a tourist facility as a business unit of Maitland City Council.