Before Queenstown Prison opened in 1966, remand prisoners were held at Outram Prison at Pearl's Hill. It was built in 1847 and by 1945, it was overcrowded with over 500 inmates living in unsanitary conditions. There was an urgent need for a new prison with better facilities and more space to house the prisoners.
Thus, in 1948, it was decided that the land at Pearl's Hill would be released for city developments and a new prison built elsewhere. However, it was only in 1963 that the final decision was reached to demolish Outram Prison and build a new one in Queenstown.
Situated off Margaret Drive at Jalan Penjara, Queenstown Remand Prison, built to accommodate 300 inmates, was officially opened on 23rd September 1966 by Inche Othman Wok, then Minister for Culture and Social Affairs.