Our role in justice

The Department for Correctional Services (DCS) serves a vital role in the criminal justice system in South Australia.

The department's objective is to improve community outcomes through efforts to reduce offender reoffending and provide for successful reintegration back into the community. This includes meaningful and targeted rehabilitation and education programs in addition to effective partnerships with other government departments, community based organisations, volunteers and the private sector.

Department initiatives are focused jointly on rehabilitative processes as well as targeting resources towards those offenders who present the highest threat to public safety.

As a result, DCS works closely with other justice agencies in South Australia to share information and target those offenders who present the greatest risk to the community.

The department’s vision, mission, values, stakeholders and outcomes are fundamental to operations and to the department’s success.

South Australian justice sector

The department’s relationship with other associated justice agencies is critical to offender risk management and community safety.

Other associated justice agencies include:

We also have partnerships with many other organisations.

Australian corrective services

The DCS Chief Executive is a part of the Corrective Services Administrators’ Council (CSAC). The CSAC comprises the Chief Executives and Commissioners of Corrective Services Agencies in each Australian jurisdiction and includes New Zealand Department of Corrections.

This is a significant forum for considering and dealing with shared corrections issues and successes. CSAC promotes best practice in the delivery of corrections services through effective sharing of ideas and addressing key national issues.

The CSAC meets twice per year.

Other interstate correctional services

We also work closely with all other interstate correctional services, and New Zealand:

International corrective services

We also value high-level liaison with other national and international criminal justice organisations through memberships including the Asian and Pacific Conference of Corrections Administrators (APCCA).

This is an annual meeting where senior corrections representatives of nations and territories in the Asia-Pacific region gather to discuss correctional services issues.

We are also a member of the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA). A forum for criminal justice professionals to join in a dialogue and share ideas and practices aimed at advancing professional corrections.