Dear Editor,

2025 will be remembered as a year Northern Territory correctional officers would rather forget.

To close the year with the relationship between government and correctional officers at an all-time low was deeply disheartening.

In recent times we have seen a significant increase of over 26 per cent in serious assaults on staff which have left several officers either medically retired or on workers compensation.

Prisoner numbers have increased by around 25 per cent. Officers are being forced to manage unmanageable workloads as our correctional centres operate well beyond their design capacity.

The looming threat of privatisation places further uncertainty over officers’ jobs, all while a vote of no confidence in the Corrections Commissioner remains unresolved. These are not isolated issues; they define a year marked by strain, risk, and disregard.

Adding to this, the Northern Territory Public Sector Correctional Officers 2021–2025 enterprise agreement expired in December. Negotiations around a new agreement have been lengthy and demanding. Despite this, correctional officers’ representatives have remained committed to negotiating in good faith, believing this remains the most effective path to achieving a fair and sustainable outcome for all parties.

Across the Territory, correctional officers have worked tirelessly to maintain the safety, security, and good order of our correctional centres. They have done so in the face of escalating assaults and unprecedented overcrowding. Throughout these challenges, officers have continued to support the current government’s tough-on-crime agenda, often at significant personal cost.

Correctional officers’ goals never change. We have always been committed to prisoner rehabilitation. We promote positive behavioural change through structured programs, guidance, and consistent professional engagement. The end goal for correctional officers is to reduce recidivism and facilitate successful reintegration into our community.

We are told we are frontline workers. We are told we are an essential part of our justice system. If this is true, then why do we feel unheard and undervalued?

We remain dedicated to keeping our community safe and this will not change. Here’s hoping that 2026 brings renewed respect, meaningful progress, and a future built on fairness, safety, and genuine partnership.

C. Smith, Northern Territory Prison Officer Association president

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