AGY-4832 | Prisoner Classification Committee [I]

Full description

Regulations under the Prisoners Act, 1952 provided for the following classifications of prisoners - (a) unconvicted; (b) appellants; (c) Debtors; (d) maintenance confinees (e) short sentenced; (f) remedial (g) recidivist (h) intractable (i) homosexual (j) unclassified. (1) It is unclear when the first Prisoner Classification Committee was established. However, in 1970/71 the Classification Committee comprised Psychologists, Chaplains, Parole Officers, the Chief Overseer and Prison Superintendents. It considered the prison in which each prisoner would be placed, and his or her employment, educational and vocational program. The Committee appears to have operated from the Classification Centre at the Central Industrial Prison and to have been placed administratively within the service in the Prisoner Custody and Classification program. It was reported that classification sub-committees were established at the major prisons. These sub-committees comprised The Principal Industries Officer of the Prison as Chairman, Principal Prison Officer; the officer concerned with educational activities and an establishments officer from Head Office. The sub-committees met monthly to consider matters such as the categorisation and the work and training programs for each prisoner. They forwarded recommendations to the Officer-in-chrage of the classification branch who determined the action that should be taken. (2) In 1974/75 only prisoners with a non-parole period exceeding 12 months were assessed by the Committee thus more than halving the workload of the Committee. (3) The role of the Classification Committee was to assess each prison inmate serving a sentence with a non-parole period of more than twelve months. The Committee used interview, questionnaires and reports and educational and psychological tests with the aim of placing the person in the prison with the facilities most suited to his or her particular case. The factors taken into account in assessing the prisoner included:
Abilities and aptitudes;
Capacity to benefit from training or educational opportunities; and
Degree of supervision required. (4) The classifications ‘intractable’, ‘homosexual’, ‘maintenance confinee’ and debtors were removed during 1977 (5) The Classification Committee met at the Central Industrial Prison, Malabar each fortnight interviewing between 20-25 prisoners at each meeting. Prisoners were classified within one month of reception or clearance from appeal or further charges. (6) The Royal Commission into New South Wales Prisons recommended the creation of a Prisoner Classification Branch. The Public Service Board approved of the establishment of the Branch which commenced operation on 11 August 1978. (7) The Classification Committee was replaced by a permanent Classification Committee that commenced office on 1 August 1978 (8) End notes
(1) Regulations under the Prisons Act, 1952 no. 10. Published in the NSW Government Gazette 13 February 1953
(2) Report of the Department of Corrective Services for the year ended 1971, p.7, 18, 19
(3) Report of the Department of Corrective Services for the year ended 1975 p. 20 (4) Report of the Department of Corrective Services for the year ended 1976 p. 21
(5) Report of the Department of Corrective Services for the year ended 1977 p. 23
(6) Loc. Cit.
(7) Report of the Department of Corrective Services for the year ended 1978 p.14
(8) Ibid p. 16