Category of Security Classification
The Security Classification System assigns each prisoner a rating that indicates his / her level of internal and external risk.
Descriptions of Internal Risk Categories
Category A Internal Risk Definition
Category A Internal Risk prisoners are prisoners who present minimal risk to the safety, security and good order of the prison, and who require a low level of supervision and secure containment.
They are prisoners who can generally be relied upon to follow the internal rules and routines, and who are unlikely to attempt to escape even with little or no supervision.
Category A Risk Descriptions
Category A prisoners exhibit the following risk characteristics:
- Unlikely to attempt escape.
- Unlikely to cause physical harm to staff, prisoners and visitors, either directly or indirectly.
- Generally cooperative with staff, other prisoners or prison rules / regulations, and does not present a management problem with the mainstream prison population.
Category B Internal Risk Definition
Category B security prisoners are prisoners who present a risk to the safety, security and good order of the prison, and who present a risk of escape.
They require supervision and security of containment.
Category B Risk Descriptions
Category B prisoners exhibit the following risk characteristics:
- Motivated to attempt escape, or less motivated but highly likely to take advantage of opportunity if presented.
- Moderate to high risk of assaulting, or threatening assault towards staff and others. May initiate assaults, and react violently with little provocation.
- May be uncooperative with staff, other prisoners or prison rules / regulations, and / or destructive to the extent that more intensive supervision and a higher level of secure confinement is available than that used for Category A security prisoners.
Category C Internal Risk Definition
Category C security prisoners are prisoners who present a high risk of escape and who present a high risk to the safety, security and good order of the prison.
They require a high level of supervision and secure containment.
Category C Risk Descriptions
Category C prisoners exhibit the following risk characteristics:
- Highly motivated to attempt escape.
- High risk of assaulting, or threatening assault towards staff and others. Very likely to initiate assault or provoke others into aggression.
- Uncooperative with staff, other prisoners or prison rules / regulations, and / or destructive to the extent that more intensive supervision and a higher level of secure confinement is available than that used for other prisoners.
- Is imprisoned on charges of terrorism or has outstanding charges of terrorism against him, under the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002. Terrorism charges automatically override to Category C.
Description of External Risk Categories
Note: For the purposes of this PPM Section, "outside the secure perimeter of the prison" means, outside of the outermost access controlled security perimeter fence or barrier installed as a security fence or other type of perimeter barrier in order to meet the objectives described in Prison Perimeter Standard, Volume One, Section 1.3 of the Department of Corrections Facilities Standards.
- Outside the prison includes access controlled security perimeter fencing around units, wings or other prisoner residential areas, where there is not a prison perimeter fence.
- However, it would not include other fences or barriers installed for industrial, farming, visual, boundary marking, traffic control or other purposes unrelated to the specific objectives of the Prison Perimeter Standard.
- It would include workshops where locks and or alarms on the doors and windows would prevent a prisoner from escaping undetected.
Category A External Risk Definition
Category A External Risk prisoners are prisoners who present minimal risk of harm to the community if they are outside the secure perimeter of the prison.
They can generally be relied on to observe the conditions imposed on them by the Prison Manager in accordance with relevant PPM sections.
Category A Risk Descriptions
Category A prisoners exhibit the following risk characteristics:
- Has no escape within the last seven years and there are no current indicators of escape potential.
- Has no history of breaches of trust.
- Unlikely to harm members of the public.
Category B External Risk Definition
Category B External Risk prisoners are prisoners who generally present an unacceptable risk to community safety if they were permitted to be outside the secure perimeter of the prison, whether supervised or unsupervised.
PPM Section A.09 Temporary Releases / Release to Work specify circumstances under which prisoners classified as Category B External Risk may be approved to be permitted outside the secure perimeter of the prison.
Category B Risk Descriptions
Category B prisoners exhibit the following risk characteristics:
- History of convictions for escapes and / or attempted escapes and / or current indicators of significant potential to escape OR
- Presents concerns regarding risk of harm to the public if escapes because offending has not been sufficiently addressed through programmes or treatment.
- High risk to public trust and confidence if escaped.
- Is imprisoned on charges of terrorism, or has outstanding charges of terrorism against him under the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002. Terrorism charges automatically override to Category B.
Separate systems have been developed for Security Classification of male and female prisoners.
Movement and Supervision of Prisoners
Staffing ratios
The following table provides the staffing requirements for the movement and supervision of prisoners in the various security classifications.
| Security classification |
Movement and supervision requirements |
| CB |
Generally 3 Officers for each prisoner |
| BB |
Generally 2 Officers for each prisoner |
| AB |
At Prison Manager's discretion |
| AA |
At Prison Manager's discretion |
