Thousands of prison officers across New South Wales have been ordered to return to work after walking off the job over the sentence handed to an inmate who bashed four guards at Cessnock Correctional Complex. The Industrial Relations Commission issued the order on Thursday following an urgent hearing, directing more than 5,000 correctional services employees to cease industrial action by 6am Friday.
The strike was sparked by a three-year community corrections order given to Cameron Welsh, 26, who was convicted of four counts of assaulting a law enforcement officer and inflicting actual bodily harm, as well as one count of stalking and intimidating a prison guard. The sentence, handed down in Cessnock Local Court on Wednesday, means Welsh will serve his term in the community rather than in full-time jail.
Public Service Association general secretary Stewart Little said members were appalled by the sentence, noting Welsh's history of violence, including a 2021 arrest for bashing two men with a baseball bat and a revoked parole after allegedly threatening a relative. Welsh was moved to Goulburn's Supermax prison after the February attacks at Cessnock.
Assistant Commissioner Craig Smith told the commission the strike had been 'catastrophic', with some centres operating with only six staff instead of the usual 50 to 60. He said all inmates were placed into immediate lockdown, which could send prisoners 'wild', and that there were insufficient staff to respond to self-harm incidents. Inmate transport officers also joined the strike, meaning no inmates would go to court the following day.
Justice Minister Anoulack Chanthivong welcomed the decision to resume work and said Corrective Services NSW would write to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions seeking an appeal of Welsh's sentence. He affirmed the government's value of correctional officers' work, noting that facilities remained secure during the strike with reduced staff.
