Privatisation and Industrial Relations: ACM's Experience (From Private Prisons and Police: Recent Australian Trends, P 106-122, 1994, Paul Moyle, ed. - See NCJ-160698)

• NCJ Number: 160702
• Author(s): D Diplock; W Calabrese
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 17 pages
• Sale Source: Pluto Press Austrialia Limited
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

This paper examines the history of Australasian Correctional Management Pty Ltd (ACM), which is part of a private correctional company in Australia, and the impact of labor relations strategies on the reform process in the company's private correctional institutions.

Abstract

ACM is the largest Australian private corrections management company. It has contracts to manage the 600-bed Junee Correctional Center in New South Wales and the Arthur Gorrie Correctional Center in Queensland. Privatization occurred for three reasons: cost, culture, and innovation. ACM's progressive personnel policies have been instrumental in creating an organizational culture that encourages teamwork and emphasizes customer service and a commitment to the company's philosophy. The underlying principles are consistency, fairness, equity, and accountability. Taking advantage of the innovative New South Wales labor legislation, ACM negotiated two enterprise agreements at the Junee correctional center, one for correctional guards and another for noncustodial personnel. Both agreements provide flexibility and responsiveness in service delivery to inmates and promote efficient and effective unit management. The Junee experience demonstrates the role of labor relations strategies in correctional reform. Photographs