Thousands of prison officers in New South Wales have been ordered to return to work after walking off the job in protest over the sentence given to an inmate who assaulted four guards. The Industrial Relations Commission held an urgent hearing on Thursday and directed more than 5,000 correctional services employees to cease industrial action by 6am on Friday.
The strike was triggered by the sentencing of Cameron Welsh, 26, who received a three-year community corrections order for assaulting four guards at Cessnock Correctional Complex in February. Welsh was convicted of four counts of assaulting a law enforcement officer causing actual bodily harm and one count of stalking and intimidating a prison guard.
During the hearing, Assistant Commissioner Craig Smith described the strike's impact as 'catastrophic', noting that some centres were operating with only six staff instead of the usual 50 to 60. He warned that inmates were placed in lockdown, which could lead to unrest, and that staff shortages prevented proper responses to self-harm incidents.
The Public Service Association said members were appalled by the sentence, expecting an additional custodial term for Welsh, who has a history of violence including a 2021 baseball bat assault. Justice Minister Anoulack Chanthivong announced that Corrective Services NSW will seek an appeal of the sentence.
