General complaints

For general complaints about prisons or community correctional services, please write to Corrections Victoria

If you are unsatisfied with the way that Corrections Victoria has dealt with a complaint, contact the Victorian Ombudsman  (External link)

Respecting your privacy:  brochures about privacy information for visitors to prison facilities in Victoria.

If you are unsatisfied with the way that Corrections Victoria has handled personal information, contact the Department of Justice and Community Safety Information and Privacy Unit. (External link)

If you are unsatisfied with the way that Corrections Victoria has handled information relating to Family Violence Information Sharing under Part 5A of the Family Violence Protection Amendment (Information Sharing) Act 2017 please write to Corrections Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (External link)

Prisoner complaints

General 

If a prisoner believes their complaint has not been properly dealt with by prison management or Corrections Victoria, they can telephone or write to the Victorian Ombudsman (see above).

Prisoners can use the freecall line to telephone the Victorian Ombudsman (enter prisoner ID then PIN *05) from 9am to 5pm weekdays. Calls are not monitored or recorded and are limited to 12 minutes. 

Letters to and from the Victorian Ombudsman are considered exempt mail and are treated confidentially.

Health care

If a prisoner has a complaint about their health care, they should complete a complaint form, which can be supplied by their health service or accommodation unit. Once the form is completed: 

  • the prisoner can speak to the person in charge of the health services at their prison and try to fix the problem (local resolution is encouraged in the first instance)
  • if the health service at the prison cannot fix the prisoner's complaint, the prisoner can complain to the Office of the Health Services Commissioner (External link) – prisoners can call the Office of the Health Services Commissioner using the prison telephone system (enter prisoner ID then PIN *06)

The Office of the Health Services Commissioner is an independent body that helps to resolve complaints for all health services in Victoria. Letters to and from the Office of the Health Services Commissioner are considered exempt mail and are treated confidentially. Calls are not monitored or recorded.

Mental Health Complaints Commissioner (External link)- 1800 246 054

Privacy

Respecting your privacy: brochures about privacy information for remandees, prisoners and offenders.

Prisoners with a privacy complaint should first contact the privacy contact officer at the prison or the Department of Justice and Community Safety Information and Privacy Unit. (External link)

If unsatisfied with the way that Corrections Victoria or the Department's Information and Privacy Unit has handled your complaint, you may lodge a complaint with the Commissioner for Privacy and Data Protection  (External link)