Department of Corrective Services
Encyclopedia
Corrective Services NSW is an agency of the Government of New South Wales
that provides custodial and community-based services as an important element of the criminal justice system. They include correctional centre custody of remand and sentenced inmates, home detention, 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 is headed by a Commissioner, presently Ron Woodham, who reports to the Attorney General
and Minister for Justice
, presently the Hon. Greg Smith SC
MP. Administrative oversight of the agency is provided by the Department Attorney General and Justice. 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.
A number of pieces of legislation govern the activities of the agency including , , , , , , , and along with other legislation.
The head office is in the Henry Deane Building in Haymarket
, City of Sydney
.
was established, at what is now Sydney
. Establishment of the colony was motivated by the conclusion of the American War of Independence, which forced Britain to find ways of dealing with criminals other than transporting them to the United States. The initial settlement at Sydney Cove
in Port Jackson
involved housing convicts in tents, guarded by marines
. A further surge of convicts arrived in Sydney following the end of the Napoleonic wars. Convicts worked for pay and, where good behaviour was demonstrated, could be assigned to masters. Chain gangs were established in 1826 up until transportation ended in 1840.
Gaols were established 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) and Bathurst
(1888), Long Bay
(1909) as the State Reformatory for Women, and Emu Plains
(1914). In more recent years, correctional centres (as they are now known) has been established 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).
Government of New South Wales
The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
that provides custodial and community-based services as an important element of the criminal justice system. They include correctional centre custody of remand and sentenced inmates, home detention, 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 is headed by a Commissioner, presently Ron Woodham, who reports to the Attorney General
Attorney General of New South Wales
The Attorney General of New South Wales, usually known simply as the Attorney General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown. Along with the subordinate Solicitor General of New South Wales and Crown Solicitor, the Attorney General serves as the chief legal adviser of the Crown and its government...
and Minister for Justice
Minister for Justice (New South Wales)
The New South Wales Minister for Justice is The Honourable Greg Smith SC MP. The position supports the Attorney General and is typically held concurrently with that office....
, presently the Hon. Greg Smith SC
Senior Counsel
The title of Senior Counsel or State Counsel is given to a senior barrister or advocate in some countries, typically equivalent to the title "Queen's Counsel" used in Commonwealth Realms...
MP. Administrative oversight of the agency is provided by the Department Attorney General and Justice. 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.
A number of pieces of legislation govern the activities of the agency including , , , , , , , and along with other legislation.
The head office is in the Henry Deane Building in Haymarket
Haymarket, New South Wales
Haymarket is a locality of Sydney's city centre, New South Wales, Australia. It is located at the southern end of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney....
, City of Sydney
City of Sydney
The City of Sydney is the Local Government Area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia...
.
Structure
The agency reports to Minister for Justice and Attorney General The Hon. Greg Smith, SC MP. The current head of the Corrective Services is Commissioner Ron Woodham.History
Following European settlement of the Colony of New South Wales in 1788, a penal colonyPenal colony
A penal colony is a settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general populace by placing them in a remote location, often an island or distant colonial territory...
was established, at what is now Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Establishment of the colony was motivated by the conclusion of the American War of Independence, which forced Britain to find ways of dealing with criminals other than transporting them to the United States. The initial settlement at Sydney Cove
Sydney Cove
Sydney Cove is a small bay on the southern shore of Port Jackson , on the coast of the state of New South Wales, Australia....
in Port Jackson
Port Jackson
Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...
involved housing convicts in tents, guarded by marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
. A further surge of convicts arrived in Sydney following the end of the Napoleonic wars. Convicts worked for pay and, where good behaviour was demonstrated, could be assigned to masters. Chain gangs were established in 1826 up until transportation ended in 1840.
Gaols were established in Berrima
Berrima Correctional Centre
Berrima Correctional Centre is an Australian female prison located at Berrima, New South Wales, Australia. Berrima Gaol is the oldest gaol still in operation in Australia....
(1836), Cockatoo Island (1839), Darlinghurst
Darlinghurst Gaol
Darlinghurst Gaol was an Australian prison located in Darlinghurst, New South Wales. The site is bordered by Victoria, Burton and Forbes streets, with entrances on Forbes and Burton Streets.-History:...
(1841), Parramatta
Parramatta Correctional Centre
Parramatta Correctional Centre is a medium security short term Remand Centre, Transient Centre and Metropolitan Periodic Detention Centre. It houses unsentenced and sentenced B and C classification male inmates, including Drug Court Sanctions and male periodic detainees...
(1842), Maitland
Maitland Gaol
Maitland Gaol is an Australian gaol and prison located in East Maitland, New South Wales. Its construction was started in 1844 and prisoners first entered the gaol in 1848. By the time of its closure, on 31 January 1998, it had become the longest continually run gaol in Australia...
(1848), and (site of the current Four Seasons hotel located) in The Rocks
The Rocks, New South Wales
The Rocks is an urban locality, tourist precinct and historic area of Sydney's city centre, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour, immediately north-west of the Sydney central business district...
and later in Goulburn
Goulburn Correctional Centre
The Goulburn Correctional Centre is an Australian maximum and 'Super Maximum' security male prison located in Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia....
(1884) and Bathurst
Bathurst Correctional Complex
Bathurst Correctional Complex is an Australian prison located 3 kilometres west of Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. The current structure incorporates buildings constructed in 1888. The Complex serves as a reception prison for western NSW...
(1888), Long Bay
Long Bay Correctional Centre
Long Bay Correctional Complex is located in the suburb of Malabar in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Long Bay comprises six institutions, four maximum security and two minimum security.-History:...
(1909) as the State Reformatory for Women, and Emu Plains
Emu Plains Correctional Centre
Emu Plains Correctional Centre is a minimum security institution for females located on Old Bathurst Rd, Emu Plains, New South Wales, Australia....
(1914). In more recent years, correctional centres (as they are now known) has been established at Parklea
Parklea Correctional Centre
Parklea Correctional Centre is a privately managed maximum security remand prison for male inmates with a current capacity for 823 inmates. The prison is located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and is managed by the GEO group Australia. The centre incorporates a minimum security work release...
(1983), Cessnock
Cessnock Correctional Centre
Cessnock Correctional Centre is a minimum and maximum security Australian prison for males, located in Cessnock, New South Wales, Australia. It is the reception prison for the Newcastle and Hunter Region.-Notable prisoners:*William MacDonald...
, Junee
Junee Correctional Centre
Junee Correctional Centre is a medium security Australian male prison located at Junee, 40 km from Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia.The prison was opened on 19 March 1993...
(1993), Lithgow
Lithgow Correctional Centre
Lithgow Correctional Centre is a maximum security Australian prison located on the Great Western Highway at Marrangaroo, New South Wales, Australia....
, Silverwater
Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre
The Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre is an Australian prison located in Silverwater, from Sydney's CBD, Australia. The prison opened in 1997, and has a capacity of 900 inmates. It is the largest single correctional centre in Australia...
(1997), Brewarrina
Brewarrina (Yetta Dhinnakkal) Centre
Brewarrina Centre is a minimum security Australian prison for Aboriginal males located in Gongolgon, near Brewarrina, New South Wales, Australia.- References :...
(2000), John Morony Correctional Centre
John Morony Correctional Centre
John Morony Correctional Centre is an Australian male prison located in Berkshire Park, New South Wales, Australia.The John Morony Correctional Complex is located 5 km south of Windsor,...
and Dillwynia Women's Correctional Centre
Dillwynia Women's Correctional Centre
Dillwynia Women's Correctional Centre is an Australian women's prison located in Berkshire Park, New South Wales, Australia.Dillwynia Women's Correctional Centre is not maximum security jail however some inmates have been found guilty of serious crimes, including murder. Prisoners wear green...
in north-west Sydney, Kempsey (2004), Wellington (2007), and Nowra (2010).