New South Wales (From Management of Corrections in Asia and the Pacific - Proceedings, P 16-63, 1983, W Clifford, ed. - See NCJ-93720)

• NCJ Number: 93721
• Author(s): N S Day
• Date Published: 1983
• Length: 48 pages
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Language: English
• Country: Australia

Annotation

This review of corrections management in New South Wales (Australia) considers the initial and inservice training of corrections officers, release under supervision, vocational training in the prisons, and inmate classification.

Abstract

Correctional officer recruits are on probation in their first year of training and are expected to successfully complete theoretical and practical training. This primary training period is in 5 periods over 46 weeks. Modular inservice courses cover reporting and rules of evidence, welfare and counseling, the first-class prison officer, leadership and supervision, the senior prison officer, the principal prison officer, emergency procedure and control, the skills of an effective executive officer, and legal studies. Regarding release under supervision, New South Wales courts may place offenders on probation for a stipulated period, usually conditional upon the offender reporting at specified intervals to a probation officer. Parole of prisoners is possible after the expiration of a minimum term, which must be at least 6 months. Sentence remission is permitted at the rate of one-third or one-quarter, depending on the offender's previous criminal record. Prison vocational training is available through classes and practical experience; attendance at outside colleges, sometimes supported by participation in industrial training or work release; and individual study through correspondence courses. A wide range of courses are available. The objective for inmate classification is to specify for each inmate an initial security rating, placement, and overall program. At appropriate intervals (usually 6 months), the initial classification is reviewed. Current problems in classification include a limited number of placement options, the difficulty of segregating disparate groups in separate institutions according to the policy of dispersal, the difficulty of providing facilities for the large number of inmates seeking protection within the prison, and an increase in the percentage of hardcore recidivist prisoners due to the increasing use of community-based programs for less serious offenders. Data tables are appended.