Volunteering for Corrections

Corrections has nearly 2,500 authorised volunteers actively assisting with offenders on a regular basis.

The primary function of volunteering within Corrections is to meet the rehabilitative and re-integrative needs of offenders and to support our key outcome of reducing re-offending. Such volunteering may be done individually or by working in partnership with volunteer groups and organisations to meet offenders’ needs.

Our aim is to build on the principles of community participation, diversity, offender-improvement and most importantly, rehabilitation and re-integration back into the community.

If you’re interested in volunteering for us, get a clear picture of what’s involved by reading our handbook (PDF 4.5MB). Volunteering can be challenging. Our volunteers need maturity, a strong pro-social attitude and the ability to cope with difficult people and situations.

Volunteering for Corrections supports and complements our spiritual services and constructive activities for prisoners, be they within music, health and wellbeing, cultural services, reading and writing, parenting/life skills or supporting other rehabilitation and re-integration programmes we have to offer.

Our volunteers bring a unique connection to our offenders (in particular prisoners) that our staff are unable to provide. It’s a resource that we particularly appreciate. Check out past issues of CorrVolunteer (which has ceased as a publication) to read first-hand the real difference our volunteers make.

If you're a student and interested in volunteering for us you need to be clear about your prospective role in meeting the needs of the offender and what skills you can offer.

Interested in joining us?

That’s great! Complete the application form (PDF 280KB), and send to your local Volunteer Coordinator who will review your application to see if your skills match the current needs of the offenders.

Volunteering for us requires a real connection with the outside world. You may be seen by offenders as a role model and a respected member of the community.

Donating books

We are always grateful for the support of the community in the form of donations of books for our prison libraries.

However, there are certain kinds of books we always need, and others that usually aren’t particularly useful to us. For example, we always need dictionaries, thesauruses and atlases. But resources like out-of-date law books, university texts and computer manuals are generally not useful.

What we need most are paperback books which are new or in very good condition. See the attached guidelines for more information.

Corrections Volunteer Coordinators

As well as recruiting volunteers, Volunteer Coordinators are responsible for the engagement, training, administration and monitoring of volunteers. They're also the first point of contact for all local issues.