As more community cases of COVID-19 are detected in the community, Corrections is doing all it can to keep people in prison safe.
At Alert Level 4, we are focused on ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone on site. We are committed to doing our part to help eliminate the spread of COVID-19.
The good news is that our measures to keep COVID-19 out of our prisons have all worked effectively since the first lockdown last year. However, we know that we cannot be complacent and are taking all necessary steps to protect people in prison from the virus.
Just as in prior Alert Level changes, we have had to suspend private visits to limit the risk of introducing COVID-19 into prisons. We do have alternatives available to help you stay connected. Read more on our Visits page .
Despite the difficulties of lockdown, people in prison largely understand the unique circumstances and challenges involved in our response and our prisons are running smoothly. Prisons are also taking steps to shield vulnerable prisoners at the greatest risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
We’ve made some changes to our Community Corrections activities to make sure that our staff and people we manage in the community are safe. Community Work is temporarily suspended, and staff are continuing to assist people to source accommodation and provide other practical support as we can.
All electronic monitoring in the community continues as usual, including the installation or removal of monitoring equipment.
Corrections is an essential public service which has a large workforce of over 10,000 people who are all doing their part to keep the community and the people we work with safe from COVID-19.