Media release: 24-hour court cells in NSW

6 June 2018

The Inspector of Custodial Services has released a report on 24-hour court cells in NSW.

The report is the result of inspections carried out at all 13 24-hour court cell complexes throughout New South Wales, as well as the Amber Laurel Correctional Centre.

Inspector of Custodial Services, Fiona Rafter, said “24-hour court cells are at the front-end of the correctional system.” Correctional officers employed at court cells receive inmates directly from court or police custody. This means inmates are often demonstrating the physical effects of withdrawal from illegal and legal substances during their time in court cells. Inmates may also be demonstrating challenging behaviours due to mental health issues or distress due to being detained in custody.

The inspection found an overall high standard of professionalism and duty of care demonstrated by NSW correctional officers and Justice Health & Forensic Mental Health Network (JHFMHN) staff at 24-hour court cell locations. However, the physical constraints of 24-hour court cell locations create challenges for staff and inmates. “That is why inmates should only be detained in these locations for the shortest possible period of time” said Ms Rafter.

The inspections found over 29,000 inmates were received at 24-hour court cells during a 12 month period. Although the majority of inmates were transferred to a correctional centre within 7 days, a number of inmates were held beyond the statutory maximum of 7 days.

The report makes 36 recommendations. The recommendations include:

• reducing the length of time inmates spend in 24-hour court cells
• increasing access to health services and legal services
• addressing infrastructure and maintenance issues
• enhancing staff training.

The Inspector of Custodial Services was established in October 2013 to provide independent oversight of the NSW correctional system, including Corrective Services NSW and Juvenile Justice NSW.