The Inspector of Custodial Services provides reports to NSW Parliament that contain recommendations for agencies to make changes to practice or processes so to produce better outcomes for inmates. The agencies provide a formal response to these recommendations. The responses from agencies for reports that were tabled in Parliament from 2025 are to be published on this page. The Annual Report of the Inspector will then provide an analysis and evaluation of these responses.
The Inspector of Custodial Services Act 2012 (‘the Act’) outlines the functions powers and purpose of the inspectorate.
Division 4 Section 12 of the Act relates to the Annual report. Section 12 of the Act states:
(1) The Inspector is required to make, within the period of 4 months after 30 June in each year, a report to Parliament of the Inspector’s operations during the year ended on that 30 June.
(2) A report by the Inspector under this section must include the following—
a) a description of the Inspector’s activities during that year in relation to each of the Inspector’s principal functions,
b) an evaluation of the response of government sector agencies or management companies to the recommendations of the Inspector,
c) any recommendations for changes in the laws of the State, or for administrative action, that the Inspector considers should be made as a result of the exercise of the Inspector’s functions.
When an inspection report is published the named agencies provide a formal response indicating if recommendations are: Supported, Supported in principle/partially supported, Noted or Not Supported. The Inspector seeks a progress report on recommendations that have been ‘Supported’ or ‘Supported in principle/partially supported’.
The Inspector requires updates for all recommendations that have been achieved during the reporting period, as well as those that remain in progress or will never be achieved. As per section 16A (3) of the Act, for recommendations that are in progress or not achieved, the Inspector may request the following information for monitoring purposes:
(a) the steps taken or proposed to be taken in response to the recommendation,
(b) if no steps have been taken or are proposed to be taken in response to the recommendation–the reasons why no steps have been taken or are proposed to be taken.
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