PRISON OFFICERS WALK OFF JOB IN PROTEST: Thousands of Guards Abandon Posts Over ‘Lenient’ Sentence for Inmate Who Bashed Four Colleagues
- Thousands of prison officers across NSW have abandoned their posts in protest over the ‘lenient’ sentence handed to an inmate who bashed four guards.
- Cameron Welsh, 26, was sentenced to a three-year community corrections order for the brutal assault, which left two guards unable to work again.
- The strike action has sparked an urgent court hearing, with the state government seeking to resolve the situation and prevent further disruption to the prison system.
Thousands of prison officers across New South Wales have walked off the job in protest over the ‘lenient’ sentence handed to an inmate who brutally bashed four of their colleagues. The strike action has brought the state’s prison system to a grinding halt, with the government scrambling to resolve the situation.
The incident that sparked the protest occurred in February at Cessnock Correctional Complex, where Cameron Welsh, 26, attacked four guards, leaving two of them with injuries so severe they will never be able to work again. Despite the gravity of the assault, Welsh was sentenced to a three-year community corrections order, which has been widely condemned as ‘a slap on the wrist’.
Public Service Association general secretary Stewart Little said his members were ‘appalled’ by the sentence, which they believe fails to reflect the severity of the crime. ‘He seriously assaulted four officers, all requiring hospitalisation, and two of those officers will never work again,’ he said. ‘We would expect that he would have received an additional custodial term.’
The strike action has already caused chaos in the prison system, with court hearings cancelled and prisoners left unattended. The state government has sought an urgent hearing before the Industrial Relations Commission to resolve the situation and prevent further disruption.
Justice Minister Anoulack Chanthivong has issued a statement in response to the sentence and strike action, saying that while he understands the frustration of correctional officers, a decision of the independent judiciary is not a basis for industrial action. ‘The government values the hard work of correctional officers, often in difficult and hostile circumstances,’ he said. ‘Correctional officers deserve to be safe on the job.’
However, the minister’s words have done little to placate the striking prison officers, who remain determined to see justice served. As the situation continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the state’s prison system will not return to normal until the concerns of correctional officers are addressed.