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For the former department, see New South Wales Department of Corrective Services.

Corrective Services NSW
Badge
Executive Agency overview
Formed1 October 2024 (as an independent agency)
Preceding agencies
TypeAgency
JurisdictionGovernment of New South Wales
HeadquartersHenry Deane Building, 20 Lee Street, Haymarket, Sydney
Employees11,500 (2022)
Annual budgetA$2.2 billion (2022)
Minister responsible
Executive Agency executive
  • Leon Taylor, Acting Commissioner
Key document
Websitehttps://correctiveservices.dcj.nsw.gov.au/

Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) is an executive agency of the Government of New South Wales, Australia. CSNSW is responsible for the state's prisons and a range of programs for managing offenders in the community. The state has 36 prisons, 33 run by CSNSW and three privately operated. The agency traces its origins back to 1788, when New South Wales was founded as a penal colony.

The services provided include correctional centre custody of remand and sentenced inmates, parole, pre-sentence reports and advice to courts and releasing authorities, community service orders and other forms of community-based offender supervision. Offenders in custody and those supervised in the community are assessed for relevant interventions to reduce their risks of re-offending. Corrective Services NSW works in partnership with other government and non-government justice and human services agencies in regard to inmates in custody and offenders in the community.

The agency head office is located in the City of Sydney.[1]

Legislation

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CSNSW's operations are governed by a number of State laws, chief among them the Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Act 1999. Other relevant laws include the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), Crimes Act 1900 No 40 (NSW), Crimes (Interstate Transfer of Community Based Sentences) Act 2004 (NSW), Protected Disclosures Act 1994 No 92 (NSW), Summary Offences Act 1988 No 25 (NSW), Prisoners (Interstate Transfer) Act 1982 No 104 (NSW), and Parole Orders (Transfer) Act 1983 No 190 (NSW).

Structure

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CSNSW is an independent executive agency, headed by Acting Commissioner Leon Taylor, who reports directly to the Minister for Corrections, Anoulack Chanthivong.[2] Corrective Services NSW is further divided into three branches, each headed by a deputy commissioner:

  • Strategy & Governance
  • Security & Custody
  • Community, Industry & Capacity.

CSNSW was formally a division of the Department of Communities and Justice, under which the Commissioner would report to the Secretary of the Department, who in turn reported to the Minister.

CSNSW does not administer youth detention centres, which continue to be administered by Youth Justice NSW, as a division of the Department of Communities and Justice.[3]

Facilities

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Facility Operator Security Classification Opened
Amber Laurel Correctional Centre CSNSW Intake and transit facility in Western Sydney
Bathurst Correctional Complex CSNSW Mixed-security facility for male offenders 1888
Broken Hill Correctional Centre CSNSW Medium and minimum-security facility for male and female offenders 1892
Cessnock Correctional Complex CSNSW Complex houses:
  • Cessnock Correctional Centre – minimum- and medium-security facility for male offenders
  • Hunter Correctional Centre – maximum-security facility for male offenders
  • Shortland Correctional Centre – maximum security facility for male offenders
 1974
Clarence Correctional Centre, Grafton Serco Maximum- and minimum-security correctional centre for male and female offenders 2020
Compulsory Drug Treatment Correctional Centre CSNSW Houses participants sentenced to a Compulsory Drug Treatment Order
Cooma Correctional Centre CSNSW Minimum- and medium-security facility
Emu Plains Correctional Centre                              CSNSW Minimum-security facility for female offenders
Glen Innes Correctional Centre                              CSNSW Minimum-security facility for male offenders
Goulburn Correctional Centre CSNSW Incorporates two correctional facilities
  • Goulburn Correctional Centre – Maximum/minimum security institution for male offenders
  • High Risk Management Correctional Centre – purpose-built maximum-security facility for male offenders
Francis Greenway Correctional Complex, Berkshire Park

(Formerly John Morony Correctional Complex)

CSNSW Incorporates three correctional facilities:
  • John Morony Correctional Centre, a maximum/medium security correctional centre for remand and sentenced male offenders
  • Geoffrey Pearce Correctional Centre (formerly Outer Metro Multi Purpose Correctional Centre), a minimum security correctional centre for males
  • Dillwynia Correctional Centre, a maximum security correctional centre for female offenders
Junee Correctional Centre GEO Group Mixed-security correctional centre for male offenders
Kariong Correctional Centre CSNSW An intake and transit centre for classified inmates transitioning between Sydney and the NSW north coast
Kirkconnell Correctional Centre CSNSW Minimum-security facility for male offenders
Lithgow Correctional Centre CSNSW Maximum-security facility for male offenders
Long Bay Correctional Complex, Matraville CSNSW Incorporates two facilities:
  • Long Bay Hospital – a maximum to minimum security facility for medical and psychiatric cases, and remandees
  • Metropolitan Special Programs Centre (MSPC) – a maximum/minimum security facility
Macquarie Correctional Centre                                CSNSW Maximum-security facility for male offenders
Mannus Correctional Centre                                    CSNSW Minimum-security facility for male offenders
Mary Wade Correctional Centre CSNSW Minimum-security facility for male offenders 2017
Mid North Coast Correctional Centre, Kempsey CSNSW Maximum-, medium- and minimum- security centre for male and female offenders 2004
Oberon Correctional Centre                                    CSNSW Minimum-security facility for male offenders
Parklea Correctional Centre MTC/Broadspectrum Houses remand, minimum- and maximum-security inmates
Silverwater Correctional Complex, Silverwater CSNSW Incorporates three facilities:
  • Silverwater Women's Correctional Centre a maximum security institution for women and the major reception centre for female offenders in NSW.
  • Metropolitan Remand & Reception Centre (MRRC) a maximum security correctional facility for men
  • Dawn de Loas Correctional Centre Area 1 & 2 is a minimum security correctional centre for men.
South Coast Correctional Centre, Nowra CSNSW Houses male offenders with minimum, medium and maximum-security areas 2010
St Heliers Correctional Centre                                CSNSW Minimum-security institution for male offenders
Tamworth Correctional Centre                                CSNSW Medium security facility for male offenders
Wellington Correctional Centre CSNSW Houses maximum security inmates

History

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NSW established gaols in Berrima (1836), Cockatoo Island (1839), Darlinghurst (1841), Parramatta (1842), Maitland (1848), and (site of the current Four Seasons hotel located) in The Rocks and later in Goulburn (1884), Bathurst (1888), Broken Hill Correctional Centre (1892) in the state's far west, Long Bay (1909) as the State Reformatory for Women, and Emu Plains (1914).[4] In more recent years, correctional centres (as they are now known) have opened at Parklea (1983), Cessnock, Junee (1993), Lithgow, Silverwater (1997), Brewarrina (2000), John Morony Correctional Centre and Dillwynia Women's Correctional Centre in north-west Sydney, Kempsey (2004), Wellington (2007), and Nowra (2010).[5]

Early years (1788–1874)

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Main article: Convicts in Australia

Great Britain started the European settlement of the Colony of New South Wales in 1788, establishing a penal colony at what is now Sydney. The incentive to establishment the colony came from the conclusion (1783) of the American War of Independence, which forced Britain to find ways of dealing with criminals other than transporting them to North America. The initial settlement at Sydney Cove in Port Jackson involved housing convicts in tents, guarded by marines. Further convict shipments followed, and a surge of convicts arrived in Sydney after the Napoleonic Wars ended in 1815. Convicts worked for pay and, where good behaviour was demonstrated, could be assigned to masters. Chain gangs operated from 1826 up until transportation ended in 1840.[5]

In the colony's early years, prisons and executions were managed first by the provost marshal, a military officer, and then, from 1824, by the sheriff.

List of provost marshals and sheriffs

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Name Title Appointed by Term start Term end Term duration
Henry Brewer Provost Marshal Governor Arthur Phillip 26 January 1788 February 1796 8 years, 6 days
Thomas Smyth Provost Marshal Governor John Hunter February 1796 20 December 1804 8 years, 323 days
Garnham Blaxcell Acting Provost Marshal Governor Philip Gidley King 20 December 1804 1 August 1805 224 days
William Gore Provost Marshal Colonial Secretary Robert Stewart 1 August 1805 8 March 1819 13 years, 219 days
John Thomas Campbell Provost Marshal Governor Lachlan Macquarie 8 March 1819 January 1824 4 years, 299 days
John Mackaness Sheriff Colonial Secretary Henry Bathurst January 1824 November 1827
William Carter Sheriff Attorney-General Alexander Baxter 1828 1828
Thomas Macquoid Sheriff Attorney-General Alexander Baxter 1829 1841
Adolphus William Young Sheriff Attorney-General John Plunkett 1843 1849
Gilbert Eliot Sheriff Attorney-General John Plunkett 1849 1854
John O'Neill Brenan Sheriff Attorney-General John Plunkett 1855 1860
George Richard Uhr Sheriff Attorney-General John Hargrave 1861 1864
Harold Maclean Sheriff Attorney-General James Martin 1864 1874

Departments of Prisons (1874–1970) and Corrective Services (1970–8)

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The colony established its first Department of Prisons in 1874, with Sheriff Harold Maclean appointed as the first Comptroller-General.

The Department changed its name to 'Corrective Services' in 1970, and McGeechan's title changed to Commissioner. Eight years later, the Wran Government accepted the Royal Commission's recommendation that the post of commissioner be abolished in favour of a three-person Corrective Services Commission.

List of comptrollers-general

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Name Title Appointed by Term start Term end Term duration
Harold Maclean Comptroller-General Incumbent 1874 1889 15 years, 0 days
George Miller Comptroller-General Justice Minister Albert Gould 8 January 1890 1896 5 years, 358 days
William Neitenstein[6][7][8] Comptroller-General Justice Minister Albert Gould 22 June 1896 17 September 1909 13 years, 87 days
WM McFarlane[9] Comptroller-General Justice Minister John Garland 1 March 1910 29 April 1914 4 years, 59 days
Samuel McCauley[10][11] Comptroller-General Justice Minister David Hall 29 April 1914 19 December 1919 5 years, 234 days
Denis Gaynor D'Arcy Comptroller-General Justice Minister Jack FitzGerald 31 December 1919 2 February 1922 2 years, 33 days
William Urquhart[12] Comptroller-General Justice Minister William McKell 8 February 1922 17 May 1925 3 years, 98 days
HH McDougall[13] Comptroller-General Justice Minister Thomas Ley 17 May 1925 24 June 1925 38 days
George Steele[14] Comptroller-General Justice Minister William McKell 24 June 1925 31 December 1927 2 years, 190 days
William Francis Hinchy[15] Comptroller-General Justice Minister John Lee 3 January 1928 31 January 1940 12 years, 28 days
George F. Murphy Comptroller-General Attorney-General Henry Manning 31 January 1940 31 July 1947 7 years, 181 days
Leslie Cecil Joshua Nott[16] Comptroller-General Justice Minister Reg Downing 31 July 1947 30 June 1956 8 years, 335 days
Harold Richard Vagg Comptroller-General Justice Minister Reg Downing 20 July 1956 9 August 1960 4 years, 20 days
John Arthur Morony Comptroller-General Justice Minister Reg Downing 9 August 1960 14 July 1968 7 years, 340 days
Walter McGeechan Comptroller-General Attorney-General Ken McCaw 15 July 1968 18 January 1978 9 years, 187 days

Post-Nagle Royal Commission (1978–2009)

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The Government appointed academic Tony Vinson as the chairman of the new Corrective Services Commission. Vinson implemented many of the Royal Commission recommendations, but by 1981 found himself in conflict with the officers' union, the Public Service Association. The Government backed the union in the dispute, and Vinson retired to academia. The tenure of his replacement, Vern Dalton, was memorable for a corruption scandal that saw the Minister for Corrections, Rex Jackson, sentenced to 10 years' gaol for corruption.

Labor, tarnished by this and other scandals, was swept from office in 1988: the Liberal–Nationals coalition that replaced them campaigned on a 'tough on crime' platform. Dalton was moved to a different department and the Corrective Services Commission was abolished in favour of a single director-general on 9 August 1988. The first director-general was former police officer Angus Graham.

In October 1991 the department was restructured, with its juvenile justice responsibilities being transferred to a separate agency and Graham's title changed to Commissioner.[17]

List of commissioners and directors-general

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Name Title Appointed by Term start Term end Term duration
Leslie Kenneth Downs Acting Commissioner Attorney-General Frank Walker 18 January 1978 19 June 1978 152 days
Leslie Kenneth Downs Associate Commissioner Attorney-General Frank Walker 19 June 1978 15 November 1978 149 days
Noel Stanley Day Commissioner Attorney-General Frank Walker 19 June 1978 19 March 1979 273 days
Dr Phillippe Anthony Vinson Chairman and Commissioner Corrections Minister Bill Haigh 19 March 1979 6 October 1981 2 years, 201 days
Noel Stanley Day Deputy Chairman and Commissioner Corrections Minister Bill Haigh 19 March 1979 19 March 1986 9 years, 143 days
Arnold Victor Bailey Commissioner Corrections Minister Bill Haigh 19 March 1979 19 March 1986 9 years, 143 days
Dr John Victor Temple Ellard Commissioner (part-time) Corrections Minister Bill Haigh 19 March 1979 19 March 1986 9 years, 143 days
Francis Daniel Hayes Commissioner (part-time) Corrections Minister Bill Haigh 19 March 1979 19 March 1986 9 years, 143 days
Vern Dalton Chairman and Commissioner Corrections Minister Rex Jackson 1981 22 August 1988
Stanley Miller Commissioner (part-time) Corrections Minister John Akister 19 March 1986 22 August 1988
Dr Glenice Kay Hancock Commissioner Corrections Minister John Akister 1 December 1986 22 August 1988
Dr Susan Carol Hayes Commissioner (part-time) Corrections Minister John Akister 1 December 1986 22 August 1988
David John Robert Grant Deputy Chairman and Commissioner Corrections Minister John Akister 27 January 1987 22 August 1988
Noel Stanley Day Acting Director-General Corrections Minister Michael Yabsley 22 August 1988 8 March 1989
Angus Graham Director-General Corrections Minister Michael Yabsley 8 March 1989 10 October 1991 2 years, 216 days
Angus Graham[17] Commissioner Justice Minister Terry Griffiths 10 October 1991
Neville Smethurst Commissioner 26 August 1996
Dr Leo Keliher Commissioner Attorney-General Jeff Shaw 26 August 1996 2002
Ron Woodham Commissioner Corrections Minister Richard Amery 2002 2009

Corrective Services New South Wales (2009–2024)

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As part of a broader consolidation of government departments in 2009, the Department of Corrective Services was merged with the departments of the Attorney-General and Juvenile Justice in 2009. Corrective Services New South Wales became a division of what is now known as the Department of Justice, with Woodham retaining his role as Commissioner. Liberal Attorney-General Greg Smith replaced Woodham with Peter Severin, the head of South Australia's prison service, in 2012.

The NSW prison population has doubled in the last two decades, from 7810 inmates in 1998 to 13,722 in 2018.[18] Females account for 8% (1040) of the prisoner population in NSW and 24.7% (3300) of inmates are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. The annual expenditure on prisons in NSW in 2018 was $1.16 billion, and the average cost per prisoner per day is $188.[19]

In terms of performance indicators, in 2018 Corrective Services NSW prisons were below average for Australian states and territories for recidivism (51% at two years), assaults (25 per 100 prisoners), deaths in custody (0.07/100 prisoners), participation in education and training (22%), time out of cells (8 hours/day) and prison capacity utilisation (129%).

In 2019, Corrective Services set a target to reduce adult prison inmate reoffending by 5 per cent by 2023.[20] The prisoner population of NSW is estimated to rise to by 550 inmates a year to 16,402 within five years.[21] In response to prisoner number growth, Corrective Services NSW launched a $3.8 billion program for building new prison capacity in 2016.[22]

The Incident Response Team (IRT) is the Riot Squad of Corrective Services NSW. IRT officers are equipped with ballistic vests, helmets with visors, arm and leg guards, capsicum spray, an ASP baton, and flex-cuffs. The grenade launchers issued can fire CS gas or baton rounds.

The Security Operations Group (SOG) is the Corrective Services NSW tactical group. They were formed as the "Emergency Squad," named after the NSW Police Emergency Squad. Long Bay Gaol Emergency Squad were active in riot control at the facility. The group was then renamed the Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) in 2009. [23] HRT did not have riot control responsibilities. HRT's roles were limited hostage rescue until the NSW Police Force Tactical Operations Unit arrived. The team was renamed the Security Operations Group (SOG) The Group's responsibilities include armed escorts of high risk inmates, armed patrols of high security facilities, and responding to armed inmates. SOG are trained to rescue hostages if necessary, although procedure is to cordon and contain for the NSW Police Tactical Operations Unit. SOG operators escort high risk inmates in unmarked, armoured four wheel drives. The main rifle used is the SIG MCX assault rifle. The Heckler and Koch UMP submachinegun is utilized, with the Glock 22 as a sidearm.

List of corrective services commissioners

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Name Title Appointed by Term start Term end Term duration
Ron Woodham Commissioner Corrections Minister Richard Amery 2002 2012 10 years
Peter Severin Commissioner Attorney-General Greg Smith 2012 2021 9 years
Kevin Corcoran PSM Commissioner Anthony Roberts, Minister for Counter Terrorism and Corrections 2021 2024 2 years
Leon Taylor Acting Commissioner Secretary of the Department of Communities and Justice 27 November 2023

Corrective Services NSW (2024–present)

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Following the Astill Inquiry, formed to inquire into the offending of former correctional officer Wayne Astill at the Dillwynia Women's Correctional Centre, which exposed systemic culture and organisational issues within Corrective Services New South Wales,[24][25] the Labor Premier Chris Minns announced that the service would be split from the Department of Communities and Justice and become its own executive agency, responsible directly to the Minister for Corrections.[25] The Premier's decision was motivated by desires to create a more "accountable and transparent system". The Premier stated that the move would bring CSNSW in line with frontline agencies such as Fire and Rescue New South Wales.[25][26]

Name Title Appointed By Term start Term end Term duration
Leon Taylor Acting Commissioner Secretary of the Department of Communities and Justice (under previous department) 27 November 2023

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Contact us". Corrective Services NSW. Archived from the original on 3 December 2010. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
  2. ^ Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes—Corrective Services NSW) Order 2024 (NSW). 14 August 2024. Commenced 1 October 2024.
  3. ^ Children (Detention Centres) Act 1987 (NSW). As amended at 19 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Chronology - A History of Australian Prison Reform". Four Corners. Australia: Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 7 November 2005. Archived from the original on 21 November 2011. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  5. ^ a b "History of NSW Corrections". Corrective Services NSW. 2008. Archived from the original on 7 January 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  6. ^ Garton, Stephen (1986). "Frederick William Neitenstein (1850–1921)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 10. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943.
  7. ^ "Changes in the civil service: the new comptroller of prisons". The Daily Telegraph (Sydney). 22 June 1896.
  8. ^ "Captain Neitenstein". The Inverell Times. 17 September 1909.
  9. ^ "New comptroller-general of prisons". Sunday Times (Sydney). 6 March 1910.
  10. ^ "New comptroller of prisons: Mr McCauley appointed". Tamworth Daily Observer. 29 April 1914.
  11. ^ "Comptroller of prisons dead". The Riverine Grazier. 19 December 1919.
  12. ^ "Comptroller-General of prisons". The Maitland Daily Mercury. 8 February 1922.
  13. ^ "Mr MacDougall's further rise". Cootamundra Herald. 14 May 1925.
  14. ^ "Prisons chief: Mr George Steele comptroller". Northern Star (Lismore). 24 June 1925.
  15. ^ "New prison chief: Mr WF Hinchy succeeds Mr Steele". Evening News (Sydney). 3 January 1928.
  16. ^ "Prisons head to retire". The Sydney Morning Herald. 16 July 1947.
  17. ^ a b "Corrections shake-up: plan to cut 100 administrative jobs". The Canberra Times. 10 October 1991.
  18. ^ NSW Inmate and Community Offender Census
  19. ^ Report on Government Services 2019 - Corrections
  20. ^ Reducing Reoffending
  21. ^ NSW Budget Estimates: Minister for Corrections
  22. ^ NSW Budget 2016: $3.8 billion for new jail capacity to cover surge in prison population [1]
  23. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8PHudTlvqE [bare URL]
  24. ^ "Special Commission of Inquiry into offending by former Corrections Officer Wayne Astill at Dillwynia Correctional Centre | NSW Government". www.nsw.gov.au. Office of The Cabinet (New South Wales). 2024-02-14. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  25. ^ a b c "NSW Corrective Services to become standalone agency". Government News. 19 August 2024. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  26. ^ "Building a more accountable corrective services system". NSW Government Website. 16 August 2024.
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