Charges Laid After Prison Officer Assault

What happened

WorkSafe Victoria has charged the Department of Justice and Community Safety following a serious assault on a prison officer at Barwon Prison back in February 2022.

The department is now facing two charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, centred on failing to provide a workplace that was safe and without risks to health.

What’s being alleged

WorkSafe claims the department didn’t have proper systems in place to keep staff safe, particularly around how information about prisoners was handled.

Specifically, it’s alleged they failed to:

• Provide a safe system of work for documenting and sharing behavioural information about prisoners
• Ensure staff had access to that information before interacting with inmates
• Give workers the necessary instruction and information to do their job safely

In simple terms, workers may not have been fully aware of the risks they were walking into.

What happens next

The case is set for a filing hearing at the Geelong Magistrates’ Court on 23 April 2026.

From here, the court process will determine whether the department breached its safety obligations and what penalties may apply.

Why this matters

This one hits a bit different compared to your usual construction or machinery cases. It highlights that workplace safety isn’t just physical hazards, it also includes violence, behavioural risks and psychological safety.

In environments like prisons, where risk is baked into the job, systems and communication become everything. If workers don’t have the right info, they can’t protect themselves properly.

Takeaways for workplaces

Even outside corrections, there’s a clear message here:

• If your workers deal with people-related risks, you must share relevant safety info
• Systems need to be in place so risk information is documented and accessible
• Training and instruction must match the real risks of the job, not just the basics

Safety isn’t just gear and procedures. It’s also about what your workers know before they step into a risky situation.

TL;DR

• WorkSafe has charged the Department of Justice and Community Safety over a prison officer assault (16 Apr 2026)
• Allegations focus on poor systems for sharing prisoner risk information and lack of instruction
• Case heads to Geelong Magistrates’ Court on 23 April 2026
• Reinforces that workplace safety includes violence and behavioural risk management, not just physical hazards