CSNSW Correctional Officer Round One Assessment key terms

The legal and ethical obligation of correctional staff to protect the safety, health and wellbeing of people in custody, including reasonable protection from self-harm, assault and neglect.

Physical intervention by staff to control a situation, lawful only when necessary, proportionate and no more than reasonably required, and always subject to reporting and review.

A proactive approach where officers build professional awareness of inmates and the prison environment through observation and interaction, aiming to detect and prevent problems before they escalate.

Physical and procedural controls such as walls, locks, fences, cameras, headcounts and movement restrictions that limit opportunities for escape, contraband entry or unauthorised movement.

Any item a person in custody is not permitted to possess, such as weapons, drugs, mobile phones or unauthorised money, whether found on a person, in a cell or within the perimeter.

The authorised method for inspecting a person, cell or area, including the required consent or authority, privacy, hygiene, documentation and supervision rules that make a search lawful.

The formal counting and confirming of the location of all people in custody at set times or after an incident, with discrepancies reported immediately through the correct channel.

The defined line of authority from an officer through supervisors to the governor or superintendent, used to escalate decisions, report problems and obtain approval beyond delegated authority.

Referring a matter to a more senior officer or specialist when it exceeds your authority, training or ability to resolve safely, rather than acting beyond your role.

The ongoing perception and understanding of what is happening around you, including people's behaviour, exits, weapons, crowd mood and changes that signal emerging risk.

Techniques such as calm communication, active listening, giving clear choices and adjusting the environment to reduce tension before physical intervention becomes necessary.

Fully concentrating on a speaker, reflecting back what you heard and checking understanding, used to defuse conflict and gather accurate information from inmates or colleagues.

The ability to understand another person's feelings and perspective without necessarily agreeing with them, which supports respectful communication and calm decision-making.

The limits on personal involvement with people in custody, such as avoiding gifts, favours, personal disclosures and relationships that could compromise safety or impartiality.

A situation where a personal, financial or family interest could improperly influence your duties, which must be declared and managed rather than hidden.

Behaviour by a staff member that breaches policy, law or the standards of the role, ranging from lateness and rudeness to assault, corruption or neglect of duty.

Acting honestly and consistently with the values of the service, including when unobserved, admitting mistakes and refusing to cover up or participate in wrongdoing.

The written standards of behaviour expected of correctional staff, covering respect, impartiality, use of authority, confidentiality and reporting of breaches.

Reporting suspected wrongdoing by colleagues or the organisation through the proper channel, with legal protections available when reports are made honestly and in good faith.

A factual written record of an event, capturing who, what, when, where, actions taken and witnesses, written objectively and without opinion or speculation.

Recording observable facts and direct quotes rather than assumptions, emotions or conclusions, so the report can be relied on by supervisors, investigators and courts.

Presenting events in the sequence they occurred, using clear time references, so a reader can follow exactly what happened and when.

A written summary of information suggesting risk, such as planned violence, drug supply or escape attempts, passed to the appropriate unit for assessment and action.

A contemporaneous written record kept by an officer during a shift, used to support later reports, statements and give evidence accurately.

The duty to protect sensitive information about inmates, staff and operations, sharing it only with those who need it for a legitimate purpose.

The right of people in custody to respect for their personal information and dignity, balanced against the lawful need for searches, observation and security measures.

Treating people fairly by explaining decisions, giving a chance to respond and using an impartial decision-maker, which supports order and reduces grievances.

The principle that a person affected by a decision is heard and that the decision-maker is unbiased, applied to disciplinary and administrative decisions in custody.

A formal complaint raised by a person in custody about treatment, conditions or decisions, which must be recorded and addressed through the correct process.

A factual basis, such as observed behaviour or reliable information, that would lead a reasonable officer to believe something is wrong and justifies further lawful action.

Choosing the least restrictive response that will safely achieve the required outcome, ensuring any interference with a person's rights is no greater than necessary.

The capacity to recover from stress, criticism and difficult incidents, using support, reflection and healthy coping while maintaining professional standards.

Assistance from trained colleagues who understand the role, offering a confidential space to debrief and access further help after stressful incidents.

Deliberate habits such as sleep, exercise, boundaries and seeking help that maintain physical and mental fitness for a demanding shift-based role.

Coordinating with colleagues, sharing information and supporting each other so that safety, welfare and operational tasks are handled consistently across a shift.

Asking questions that invite explanation, such as 'what happened next?', to gather complete information rather than a yes or no answer.

A conclusion drawn from evidence in a passage rather than stated directly, useful in verbal reasoning where the answer must follow from the text.

A comparison of two quantities by division, often used in numerical reasoning for staffing, inmate-to-officer levels or search coverage questions.

A proportion expressed out of one hundred, used to calculate changes in population, completion rates or budget figures in numerical questions.

A measure of how one quantity changes relative to another, such as incidents per month or inmates processed per hour, often requiring unit conversion.