On Friday 30 May 2025, a joint meeting was held between the Prison Officers Vocational Branch (POVB) State Executive, Commissioned Officers Vocational Branch (COVB) State Executive, the Senior Executive Advisory Group (SEAG), and Corrective Services NSW State-Wide Operations to resolve outstanding issues from the Statement of Duties pilot at Mid North Coast Correctional Centre.

Offender tablets

The POVB State Executive maintains a firm position that tablets constitute new business. As such, any new duties related to the tablets will not be undertaken by POVB members.

However, POVB members will action E-forms where they are a like-for-like replacement for existing paper-based forms; excluding inmate applications and grievances.

The POVB and COVB State Executives agreed that allowing inmates to submit unlimited digital requests amounts to role overload.

A state-wide limit of two digital requests and one application per inmate per week has been proposed to Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) but has not been agreed upon yet. We will keep you updated.

Protection Orders and Segregation Orders after hours (C/B/N Watches)

The POVB and COVB State Executives have agreed that when an offender is required to be isolated after hours, the Night Senior is to:

• Submit an incident report and case note outlining the reason for the isolation.
• Email the report to the Functional Manager/Manager of Security/Governor for a formal risk assessment and protection order to be issued during the next A Watch.

Urinalysis

The POVB State Executive has agreed that members will assist with urinalysis. However, POVB members will not perform any administrative tasks associated with the process unless there is an already agreed dedicated member assigned.

The POVB will:

• Ensure the inmate is escorted to the test area.
• Observe the inmate producing a sample.
• Escort the inmate back to the accommodation or work area.

Staff searching 

The POVB State Executive maintains its long-standing industrial position that POVB members will NOT conduct targeted or random staff searches.

POVB members will conduct the normal screening process, which includes asking the person being screened to identify anything unusual that is indicated by x-rays, metal detectors, etc. If the person refuses to identify what the object is, a Functional Manager (FM) or above will be called. If no FM or above is on duty, then the person will be refused entry and directed to leave.

Following the Astill Inquiry, CSNSW has proposed a policy requiring 10 per cent of staff over a 24-hour period to undergo both property and personal searches, in addition to standard entry screening.

State-Wide Operations has agreed to review this proposed policy and will return to all sub-branches for further feedback.

Yours in union,

Keith Smith
POVB Executive Chair

Darren Wells
COVB Executive Chair