On Monday 7 July 2025, NSW police officers draw a line in the sand when it comes to the management of offenders who are in Corrective Services’ custody.
For too long, police officers in metropolitan and regional areas have performed the duties of Corrective Services, driving inmates to and from correctional facilities and supervising them at court hearings or mention matters.
Police have absorbed the risk of holding bail-refused prisoners for extended periods in cells that are not fit-for-purpose. This is not police work.
With police now being affected by changes in work practices under the centralised AVL bail court without consultation, the PANSW Executive has determined that from 7 July 2025 police will no longer:
• Attend Correctional Facilities to collect and transport court bail-refused prisoners
• Attend court houses to guard court bail-refused prisoners.
• Accept court bail-refused prisoners into police custody facilities from Corrective Services or Juvenile Justice.
Police will allow Corrective Services and Juvenile Justice to use police cell complexes when court-bail refused prisoners remain in the custody of Corrective Services.
The PANSW Executive has also directed all metropolitan Branches to report data to the PANSW regarding prisoners spending excessive periods in police custody due to a refusal of acceptance from other agencies. This data will be collated and reported to the relevant Government Ministers.
The Executive also directed the continuation of negotiations around the creation of a permanent MoU between NSWPF and other agencies that reduces police involvement in prisoner management and returns police to their key task of maintaining community safety.
With this first phase of the campaign, we have provided ample time for Corrective Services and Juvenile Justice to increase their capacity and take back their workload.
I call on all members to support this campaign and use this simple rule of thumb; ‘once they wear green, police will not be seen’.
Kevin Morton
PANSW President