Commissioner of Corrective Services (New South Wales)

Last updated

Commissioner of Corrective Services
Incumbent
Gary McCahon PSM
since 3 March 2025
Corrective Services NSW
Style Commissioner
Reports to Minister for Corrections
Seat Strawberry Hills, New South Wales
Nominator Minister for Corrections
Appointer Governor of New South Wales
Constituting instrumentCrimes (Administration of Sentences) Act 1999 (NSW)
PrecursorComptroller-General
Sheriff
Provost Marshal
Formation26 January 1788
First holderHenry Brewer

The Commissioner of Corrective Services is a statutory office-holder in the State of New South Wales, Australia, with responsibility for the State's prison, parole and community corrections systems. The Commissioner is Gary McCahon PSM. Between 2009 and 2024, Corrections was a division of the State's justice department, currently known as the Department of Communities and Justice. Prior to 2009 and since 2024, the Commissioner managed their own Department of Corrective Services, known from 1 October 2024 as Corrective Services NSW.

Contents

Previous office-holders

Between 1979 and 1988, the Department of Corrective Services was managed by a five-person Corrective Services Commission. This model had been recommended by John Nagle in his royal commission report. From 2009, the Commissioner served as a deputy secretary within the larger Department of Justice. From 1 October 2024, the role of Commissioner became treated identically to Commissioners of other frontline agencies, and is appointed directly by the Minister. Although commissioners have generally been recruited from other professions, both the incumbent and his predecessor began their careers as prison officers.

List of Corrective Services Commissioners

NameTitleAgencyTerm startTerm endTerm duration
Henry Brewer Provost Marshal 26 January 1788February 17968 years, 6 days
Thomas Smyth Provost MarshalFebruary 179620 December 18048 years, 323 days
Garnham Blaxcell Acting Provost Marshal20 December 18041 August 1805224 days
William Gore Provost Marshal1 August 18058 March 181913 years, 219 days
John Thomas Campbell Provost Marshal8 March 1819January 18244 years, 299 days
John Mackaness Sheriff Office of the Sheriff January 1824November 1827
William CarterSheriffOffice of the Sheriff18281828
Thomas Macquoid SheriffOffice of the Sheriff18291841
Adolphus William Young SheriffOffice of the Sheriff18431849
Gilbert EliotSheriffOffice of the Sheriff18491854
John O'Neill Brenan SheriffOffice of the Sheriff18551860
George Richard Uhr SheriffOffice of the Sheriff18611864
Harold Maclean SheriffOffice of the Sheriff18641874
Harold Maclean Comptroller-General Department of Prisons 1874188915 years, 0 days
George MillerComptroller-GeneralDepartment of Prisons8 January 189018965 years, 358 days
William Neitenstein [1] [2] [3] Comptroller-GeneralDepartment of Prisons22 June 189617 September 190913 years, 87 days
WM McFarlane [4] Comptroller-GeneralDepartment of Prisons1 March 191029 April 19144 years, 59 days
Samuel McCauley [5] [6] Comptroller-GeneralDepartment of Prisons29 April 191419 December 19195 years, 234 days
Denis Gaynor D'ArcyComptroller-GeneralDepartment of Prisons31 December 19192 February 19222 years, 33 days
William Urquhart [7] Comptroller-GeneralDepartment of Prisons8 February 192217 May 19253 years, 98 days
HH McDougall [8] Comptroller-GeneralDepartment of Prisons17 May 192524 June 192538 days
George Steele [9] Comptroller-GeneralDepartment of Prisons24 June 192531 December 19272 years, 190 days
William Francis Hinchy [10] Comptroller-GeneralDepartment of Prisons3 January 192831 January 194012 years, 28 days
George F. MurphyComptroller-GeneralDepartment of Prisons31 January 194031 July 19477 years, 181 days
Leslie Cecil Joshua Nott [11] Comptroller-GeneralDepartment of Prisons31 July 194730 June 19568 years, 335 days
Harold Richard VaggComptroller-GeneralDepartment of Prisons20 July 19569 August 19604 years, 20 days
John Arthur MoronyComptroller-GeneralDepartment of Prisons9 August 196014 July 19687 years, 340 days
Walter McGeechanComptroller-GeneralDepartment of Prisons15 July 19681970
Walter McGeechanCommissioner Department of Corrective Services 197018 January 1978
Leslie Kenneth DownsActing CommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services18 January 197819 June 1978152 days
Leslie Kenneth DownsAssociate CommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services19 June 197815 November 1978149 days
Noel Stanley DayCommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services19 June 197819 March 1979273 days
Dr Phillippe Anthony Vinson Chairman and CommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services19 March 19796 October 19812 years, 201 days
Noel Stanley DayDeputy Chairman and CommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services19 March 197919 March 19869 years, 143 days
Arnold Victor BaileyCommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services19 March 197919 March 19869 years, 143 days
Dr John Victor Temple EllardCommissioner (part-time)Department of Corrective Services19 March 197919 March 19869 years, 143 days
Francis Daniel HayesCommissioner (part-time)Department of Corrective Services19 March 197919 March 19869 years, 143 days
Vern DaltonChairman and CommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services198122 August 1988
Stanley MillerCommissioner (part-time)Department of Corrective Services19 March 198622 August 1988
Dr Glenice Kay HancockCommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services1 December 198622 August 1988
Dr Susan Carol HayesCommissioner (part-time)Department of Corrective Services1 December 198622 August 1988
David John Robert GrantDeputy Chairman and CommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services27 January 198722 August 1988
Noel Stanley DayActing Director-GeneralDepartment of Corrective Services22 August 19888 March 1989
Angus GrahamDirector-GeneralDepartment of Corrective Services8 March 198910 October 19912 years, 216 days
Angus GrahamCommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services10 October 1991
Neville SmethurstCommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services26 August 1996
Dr Leo KeliherCommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services26 August 19962002
Ron WoodhamCommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services2002200910 years
Ron WoodhamCommissioner Department of Justice and Attorney General 2009201210 years
Peter SeverinCommissioner Department of Attorney General and Justice 201220219 years
Kevin Corcoran PSMCommissioner Department of Communities and Justice 202120243 years
Leon TaylorActing Commissioner Department of Communities and Justice

Corrective Services NSW (from 1 October 2024)

27 November 20232 March 202515 months
Gary McCahon PSMCommissionerCorrective Services NSW3 March 2025

References

  1. ↑ Garton, Stephen (1986). "Neitenstein, Frederick William (1850–1921)". Australian Dictionary of Biography.
  2. ↑ "Changes in the civil service: the new comptroller of prisons". The Daily Telegraph (Sydney). 22 June 1896.
  3. ↑ "Captain Neitenstein". The Inverell Times. 17 September 1909.
  4. ↑ "New comptroller-general of prisons". Sunday Times (Sydney). 6 March 1910.
  5. ↑ "New comptroller of prisons: Mr McCauley appointed". Tamworth Daily Observer. 29 April 1914.
  6. ↑ "Comptroller of prisons dead". The Riverine Grazier. 19 December 1919.
  7. ↑ "Comptroller-General of prisons". The Maitland Daily Mercury. 8 February 1922.
  8. ↑ "Mr MacDougall's further rise". Cootamundra Herald. 14 May 1925.
  9. ↑ "Prisons chief: Mr George Steele comptroller". Northern Star (Lismore). 24 June 1925.
  10. ↑ "New prison chief: Mr WF Hinchy succeeds Mr Steele". Evening News (Sydney). 3 January 1928.
  11. ↑ "Prisons head to retire". The Sydney Morning Herald. 16 July 1947.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.