Jails in Brewarrina, Ivanhoe, Illawarra and Berrima will close within 12 months, Corrective Services NSW confirmed this week.

The closures will impact 157 inmates and 114 staff.'

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Corrective Services NSW, however, would not confirm if any of these inmates would be moved to the region's jails in Bathurst, Kirkconnell, Lithgow, Shooters Hill and Wellington.

"Inmates will be transferred to other prisons across the state," a spokeswoman said.

The union for corrections staff, the Public Services Association (PSA), will soon be visiting affected staff in the jails set to close.

"Our main focus is that no-one is left without a job," PSA general secretary Stewart Little said.

"The Public Service Association has secured an undertaking that all affected employees are guaranteed a job if they wish to continue working with Corrective Services.

"We intend to hold the government to this commitment and ensure that the impact on staff is minimised."

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Minister for Corrections Anthony Roberts said the prisons were being "retired" as new fit-for-purpose prison beds, with a focus on rehabilitation, became available.

He said the jails to be closed were among the state's smallest correctional centres, however, the announcement comes less than three years after the Illawarra Reintegration Centre held its official opening.

"The new 1700-bed Clarence Correctional Centre and our expansion of existing prisons in Bathurst, Junee, Cessnock, Mid North Coast, Parklea and Windsor means we will have almost 5000 beds available in modern, built-for-purpose prisons with greater rehabilitation opportunities," Mr Roberts said.

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"They will also create an additional 700 jobs in different locations across the NSW corrections system.

"As this new infrastructure becomes available, Corrective Services NSW has a responsibility to ensure staff are not working in overcrowded prisons and have the opportunity to work in these safer, more secure facilities."

Mr Roberts said around 1800 double-up and triple-up beds would also be removed across the state, starting at centres on the South Coast, Mid North Coast, Glen Innes and Shortland, to increase the availability of safer, single-occupant cells.

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