Corrections Victoria is in charge of Victoria’s adult prisons and post-sentence supervision. It manages both public and private prisons, parole, and programs to support reintegration. It looks into complaints from prisoners and the public about issues such as prison conditions, treatment in custody, rehabilitation programs, or decisions made after a sentence.
What types of complaints can you make?
You can complain about:
Prison Conditions and Living Environment
- Overcrowding and Lack of Space:Prisons must provide safe and decent living space.
- Unsanitary or Poor Living Conditions: Prisons must be kept clean and hygienic.
- Inadequate Food or Nutrition: Meals must be enough and nutritionally sound.
- Denied Special Diet for Health or Belief: Prisons must provide medical, cultural, or religious diets.
- Inadequate Clothing or Bedding: Prisoners must be given clothing and bedding suited to the climate.
- Extreme Cell Temperatures or Bad Air Flow: Cells must be reasonably comfortable.
- Insufficient Exercise or Time Outdoors: Prisoners are should have at least one hour of fresh air daily (if not working outdoors).
Safety and Protection
- Failure to Protect from Violence or Bullying: Staff must keep prisoners safe.
- Unsafe or Hazardous Conditions: Facilities and programs must be safe.
- Sexual Assault or Harassment by Other Prisoners: Prisons must respond to sexual victimisation.
Staff Behaviour and Misconduct
- Excessive Use of Force or Assault by Staff: Force must not be excessive.
- Verbal Abuse, Harassment or Disrespect: Staff must act professionally.
- Discrimination or Bias by Staff: Prisoners must not be treated unfairly due to race, religion, gender, or other traits.
- Sexual Misconduct by Staff: Sexual abuse or harassment is serious misconduct.
- Corruption or Improper Conduct by Staff: Staff must not abuse their authority.
- Neglect of Duties or Unprofessional Behaviour: Staff must respond properly to prisoner needs.
Healthcare and Medical Treatment
- Inadequate or Delayed Medical Care: Prisoners must get timely treatment.
- Lack of Access to Dental or Other Health Services: Basic health services must be provided.
- Neglect of Mental Health Needs: Mental health care is essential.
- Inadequate Women’s Health Care: Women must receive appropriate health services.
Disability and Accessibility
- Physical Disability Not Accommodated: Prisons must provide access for people with disabilities.
- Intellectual or Cognitive Disability Needs Ignored: Support must be provided for those with cognitive impairments.
- Failure to Provide Aids or Equipment: Devices to assist with movement such as a walking frame, must be available.
Discrimination and Equal Treatment
Prisoners must not be treated unfairly based on personal characteristics.
- Racial or Ethnic Discrimination
- Religious Discrimination
- Gender or Sexual Orientation Discrimination
- Age or Other Discrimination
Religious and Cultural Rights
- Denial of Religious Practice or Worship
- No Access to Religious Leaders or Services
- Cultural Needs Ignored
Communication, Visits, and Family Contact
- Unfair Restrictions on Visits
- Visiting Facilities or Procedures Causing Hardship
- Problems with Phone Calls or Mail
- Denial of Access to Complaints Bodies
- Interference with Family Communication
Access to Legal Resources and Fair Process
- Denied or Delayed Access to Lawyers
- Lack of Interpreter in Legal Proceedings
- Unfair Punishment
- Lack of Access to Legal Materials or Courts
Privacy and Information Handling
- Breach of Personal Information Privacy
- Sharing Family Violence Information
- Health Information Breached
- Misuse of Personal Data
Sentence Management and Prisoner Progress
- Classification or Placement Issues
- Sentence Calculation or Release Date Errors
- Denied Access to Rehabilitation Programs or Education
- Unfair Work Assignments or Pay Issues
- Parole Preparation Delays
Community-Based Orders (Probation and Community Service)
- Unfair Treatment by Community Corrections Staff
- Poor Communication or Lack of Support
- Unsafe or Inappropriate Community Service
- Failure to Provide for Needs
Parole and Post-Release Supervision
- Lack of Support or Unfair Treatment
- Mismanagement of Parole Conditions
- Delayed or Poor Communication of Parole Decisions
- Failure to Supervise Parolees Properly
Post-Sentence Supervision or Detention
- Poor Conditions in Detention
- Unreasonable Restrictions under Supervision
- Violation of Rights
Property and Money
- Lost or Damaged Property
- Errors with Prisoner Accounts
- Improper Confiscation of Allowed Items
Jurisdiction:
Corrections Victoria only deals with complaints about its own services in Victoria. It has more control over public prisons than private ones but oversees both. It also manages community-based orders, parole, and interstate or international prisoner transfers.
Time Limits
There are no strict time limits, but complaints should be made as soon as possible. Very old complaints may be harder to investigate or may not be accepted if they’ve already been fully addressed.
Corrections Victoria will not deal with complaints about:
- Prisons outside Victoria.
- Immigration detention or other Commonwealth matters.
- Youth detention (handled by Youth Justice Victoria).
- Police matters (arrest, charges, police custody, transport before prison).
- Court decisions or sentences.
- Adult Parole Board decisions.
- Complaints already fully investigated by Corrections Victoria.
- Compensation or civil legal claims.
- General government services (e.g. Centrelink, housing, public transport fines).
Who can you make a complaint against?
You can make a complaint against:
- Prison staff and officers: e.g. corrections officers, unit managers, medical staff employed in public prisons.
- Community Corrections staff: e.g. parole officers, program supervisors, staff managing community correction orders.
- Prison management: how prisons are run, daily operations, and responses to issues.
- Public healthcare providers in prisons: doctors or mental health staff working under public contracts.
- Corrections Victoria itself: issues with how your sentence, parole, programs, or information has been handled.
Are you eligible to make a complaint?
Who can make a complaint?
Anyone who has dealt with Corrections Victoria (prisoners, people on parole, community corrections orders) can make a complaint.
Limits:
- You usually need a real connection to the Victorian corrections system.
- Complaints made in bad faith (harassing, threatening, or repeated without new information) may be refused.
Before you lodge a complaint:
Before reaching out to Corrections Victoria, try raising it directly with the officer, prison management, or community corrections officer first. If itis unsafe or inappropriate to do so, you can go straight to Corrections Victoria.
Can you complain on behalf of someone else?
Yes, a third party (family, lawyer, advocate) can complain on behalf of someone else, but Corrections Victoria may want to hear from the person directly. If the issue involves sensitive health or private info, consent may be needed.
Additional Information:
- Corrections Victoria cannot award financial compensation or overturn court or parole board decisions.
- If dissatisfied, you can escalate to oversight bodies like the Victorian Ombudsman or IBAC.
What can this body do to help?
Corrections Victoria can:
- Change procedures or policies.
- Retrain staff or take disciplinary action.
- Recalculate sentences or correct administrative errors.
- Provide or bring back services (medical, education, programs, diet, etc.).
- Reallocate staff or issue apologies.
- Refer serious cases (e.g. assault, corruption).
How to prepare your complaint:
Personal details:
Provide your name, and any other details you think are important
Respondent’s details:
Provide the officer’s name, role, office or prison's name, identification number.
Relevant facts:
Provide details about date, time, place, what happened, who was involved, impact, steps already taken, and what outcome you want. Attach copies (not originals) of supporting documents if you can.
Lodging your complaint and next steps:
- First raise with prison management.
- Then write to the prison’s General Manager.
- If unresolved, escalate to Corrections Victoria:
- Email: corrections@justice.vic.gov.au
- Post: GPO Box 123 Melbourne VIC 3001 OR Corrections Victoria, Level 22, 121 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000
- Phone: 1300 191 835
Receipt & Acknowledgement:
- Within 3 business days.
- Full response within 20 business days (sometimes longer if a complex matter).
Assessment & Investigation:
- Corrections Victoria decides whether to investigate further.
- May involve questions, conciliation, or internal investigation
More information:
Refer to the factsheet provided below for more information.
