Youth justice

We can help people who have been unfairly treated by detention and related services in NSW including:

• young people detained in a youth justice centre
• young offenders supervised in the community
• family and friends visiting someone in detention.

We will explain what we can do to help and who else you can talk to about your complaint.

If your complaint is about assault or excessive use of force by staff, make a complaint to us directly.

For all other complaints, there are people you can talk to first before making a complaint to us.

Talk to staff at the centre

Most complaints can be handled by talking to staff in your unit or the unit manager.

If that doesn't fix the problem, you can make a complaint to the centre manager using the centre's complaint process. You can ask staff how to do this, or you can contact us for advice.

Talk to the Nurse Unit Manager (NUM)

Most health care problems can be fixed by talking to the NUM.

If that doesn't fix the problem, you can also write to:

Chief Executive of Justice Health NSW
PO Box 150 
Matraville NSW 2036

Talk to an Official Visitor

Official Visitors regularly visit each centre. They're there to help you manage and resolve problems. They can also help you make a complaint to us.

You can contact an Official Visitor:

• in-person during a visit
• from the phone at your centre – dial CIMS ID number, PIN, #14
• in writing at PO Box 85 Marrickville NSW 1475.

You can contact us if the problem is not resolved or if you need advice.

Talk to us when we visit

We have staff who regularly visit youth justice centres so you can make complaints to our staff in private. We will try to fix the problem before we leave the centre. If we can't, we'll continue to work on the problem back in the office.

During our visits we also speak with senior managers, observe conditions and amenities and check paperwork.

We handle many complaints and concerns informally through contact with senior staff at the centre.

Young offenders supervised in the community

Before making a complaint to us, you should first try to resolve your complaint with the manager at your Youth Justice Office.

If that doesn't fix the problem, you can write to:

Director, Strategy and Engagement
Youth Justice NSW
GPO Box 31 
Sydney NSW 2001

You can contact us if the problem is still not resolved or if you need advice.

Families and friends may complain if they feel badly treated by staff when visiting a centre. Before making a complaint to us, talk to a senior officer at the centre to try to resolve the problem.

If you've been banned or restricted from visiting someone in custody, you should receive a letter explaining the decision and what you can do to have it reviewed.

If the problem is still not resolved, you can write to:

The Executive Director
Youth Justice NSW
GPO Box 31 
Sydney NSW 2001

You can contact us if the problem is not resolved or if you need advice. If we think you should make a formal complaint, we will help you.

If you're concerned about someone in detention, talk to them about the problem before you contact us.

We respect the rights of young people to decide whether they want to make a complaint. Sometimes, young people in detention don't want to act on issues that involve others.

We decide on a case-by-case basis about any action we might take.

If you can't resolve the problem through the options outlined above, you can make a complaint to us. You can also ask us for advice if you don't know what to do.

By phone

Call us from the phones in your centre.

Dial: CIMS ID number, PIN, #2, #1

There's usually a list next to the phone explaining how to call us. Unit staff can also help.

By mail

Send your complaint to:

NSW Ombudsman
Level 24, 580 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000

Your letter can be in any language. Put your letter in a sealed envelope. Youth Justice will pay for the postage. All letters to and from us are confidential and can't be opened by centre staff. When you get a letter from us, you will be asked to sign a cover sheet to say you received it unopened. This is placed on your file as a receipt.

We will let you know we've received your letter within a few days of it arriving at our office, but it may take a bit longer to assess your complaint. You can always contact us to find out what's happening with your complaint.