Corrective Services NSW: Department falls short on promise to hire 800 officers
Corrective services have been criticised after failing to fulfil a promise to hire a massive 800 additional corrections officers by the end of the financial year. See the shocking figures here.
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The state’s corrective services department has fallen dramatically short on its promise to hire hundreds of additional officers by the end of the financial year — as a labour shortage is blamed for the shortfall.
Following his appointment as NSW Corrective Services Commissioner last year, Kevin Corcoran committed to the recruitment of an additional “800 permanent correctional officers” to bolster numbers in facilities across the state.
In February it was announced to employees that a recruitment drive had been launched, however, sources inside the department have revealed alarms were raised just a month later when senior representatives concluded the ambitious target would not be met.
A Corrective Services source, who did not wish to be named, said the department was already facing “critically low staffing levels”.
“The commissioner promised hundreds of additional officers by the end of the financial year,” the source said. “By all accounts the innovative Project 800 initiative has seen around 50 new sets of boots on the ground and close to 200 in training currently.
“This shortfall is shocking, its devastating for officers struggling inside facilities.”
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The source said Corrective Services NSW was “pulling out all stops” in an attempt to complete the project 800 commitment by September this year.
“We are under the impression that heads have already rolled over this failure,” the source said. “The commissioner was told he could commit to the project, but the Department of Communities and Justice failed — this isn’t the commissioner’s fault.”
Corrections Minister Geoff Lee told NewsLocal the department was undertaking the “largest recruitment drive in it’s history”.
“We’re recruiting 800 new correctional officers – and converting casuals to full time roles,” the Minister said. “Already we’ve had over 5,000 applications and interviewed nearly 1,000.
“Currently we have 190 new recruits in a fully-paid intensive 10-week training course.”
The Minister said a tight labour market and the a commitment to “finding the right people” delayed the recruitment process.
“We want motivated people who want a career in Corrections,” he said. “It’s an ideal opportunity for those looking to change their occupation, like ex-defence force veterans, tradies or small business owners.
“I am asking for people to apply today, there are so many opportunities at Corrections NSW.”
In May, the Minister said Project 800 was “essential to maintain the security and management of correctional centres”.
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“Correctional officers are the backbone of our state’s prisons and ensure the more than 12,000 inmates in our care are looked after and fully supported in their rehabilitation,” He said.
“These officers are a much valued and critical part of the prison network who face extremely demanding situations each day.”
Opposition spokeswoman Tara Moriarty said the shortfall was a “monumental stuff-up by the Government”
“The NSW Government promised 800 new Corrections Officers would be recruited by the end of June,” she said. “In a spectacular failure they’ve managed to get just 50 on the job and fewer than 200 in training.
“Despite all the talk around the announcement, they’ve failed to recruit these much needed new staff leaving the corrections system exposed.”
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