Prisons – the Way Forward?

DEPARTMENT

It is the intention of the Department to amalgamate some correctional centers and court cell complexes. This is proposed to occur where it is geographically feasible so that officers in those locations can be placed on one roster. It is also intended to reduce some 24 hour court locations to an 8 hour operation.

The Department claims that there are a number of issues which need to be resolved before their proposal can be implemented:

• Staff training;
• Staff retention;
• Current skills levels;
• Roster integration;
• Service level agreement with NSW Police; and
• Placement of Form 7 inmates.

The Department also claims that staff will benefit from:

• Increased career opportunities;
• Variety of duties; and
• Greater access to annual and other leave.

An additional benefit is declared to be the better management of personal conflict due to larger work groups.

POVB EXECUTIVE

Although this proposal has been tabled by the Department, negotiations are still very much in the early stages as our conferences with the Department have focused on staffing the new correctional center at Kempsey.

Nevertheless, we have put forward an initial view that the Department should consider a protocol which allows current Court Staff to remain at their location and to place newly recruited staff or newly transferred staff on to the new system.

Nothing has been agreed and nothing will be agreed until all stakeholders have had an input and a vote is held of affected POVB members.

John Campbell, Chair
Paul Jones, Vice-Chair
Brian McCann, Secretary
Tony Howen, Country Chair