Commissioner of Corrective Services (New South Wales)

The Commissioner of Corrective Services is a statutory office-holder in the State of New South Wales, Australia, with responsibility for the State's prison, parole and community corrections systems. The Commissioner is Gary McCahon PSM. Between 2009 and 2024, Corrections was a division of the State's justice department, currently known as the Department of Communities and Justice. Prior to 2009 and since 2024, the Commissioner managed their own Department of Corrective Services, known from 1 October 2024 as Corrective Services NSW.

Previous office-holders

Between 1979 and 1988, the Department of Corrective Services was managed by a five-person Corrective Services Commission. This model had been recommended by John Nagle in his royal commission report. From 2009, the Commissioner served as a deputy secretary within the larger Department of Justice. From 1 October 2024, the role of Commissioner became treated identically to Commissioners of other frontline agencies, and is appointed directly by the Minister. Although commissioners have generally been recruited from other professions, both the incumbent and his predecessor began their careers as prison officers.

List of Corrective Services Commissioners +Name Title AgencyTerm start Term endTerm durationHenry BrewerProvost MarshalThomas SmythProvost MarshalGarnham BlaxcellActing Provost MarshalWilliam GoreProvost MarshalJohn Thomas CampbellProvost MarshalJohn MackanessSheriffOffice of the Sheriff William CarterSheriffOffice of the Sheriff18281828Thomas MacquoidSheriffOffice of the Sheriff18291841Adolphus William YoungSheriffOffice of the Sheriff18431849Gilbert EliotSheriffOffice of the Sheriff18491854John O'Neill BrenanSheriffOffice of the Sheriff18551860George Richard UhrSheriffOffice of the Sheriff18611864Harold MacleanSheriffOffice of the Sheriff18641874Harold MacleanComptroller-GeneralDepartment of Prisons18741889George MillerComptroller-GeneralDepartment of Prisons1896William NeitensteinComptroller-GeneralDepartment of PrisonsWM McFarlaneComptroller-GeneralDepartment of PrisonsSamuel McCauleyComptroller-GeneralDepartment of PrisonsDenis Gaynor D'ArcyComptroller-GeneralDepartment of PrisonsWilliam UrquhartComptroller-GeneralDepartment of PrisonsHH McDougallComptroller-GeneralDepartment of PrisonsGeorge StoleComptroller-GeneralDepartment of PrisonsWilliam Francis HinchyComptroller-GeneralDepartment of PrisonsGeorge F. MurphyComptroller-GeneralDepartment of PrisonsLeslie Cecil Joshua NottComptroller-GeneralDepartment of PrisonsHarold Richard VaggComptroller-GeneralDepartment of PrisonsJohn Arthur MoronyComptroller-GeneralDepartment of PrisonsWalter McGeechanComptroller-GeneralDepartment of Prisons1970Walter McGeechanCommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services1970Leslie Kenneth DownsActing CommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services18 January 197819 June 1978Leslie Kenneth DownsAssociate CommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services19 June 197815 November 1978Noel Stanley DayCommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services19 June 197819 March 1979Dr Phillippe Anthony VinsonChairman and CommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services19 March 19796 October 1981Noel Stanley DayDeputy Chairman and CommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services19 March 1979Arnold Victor BaileyCommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services19 March 1979Dr John Henry Temple EllardCommissioner (part-time)Department of Corrective Services19 March 1979Francis Daniel HayesCommissioner (part-time)Department of Corrective Services19 March 1979Vern DaltonChairman and CommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services198122 August 1988Stanley MillerCommissioner (part-time)Department of Corrective Services19 March 198622 August 1988Dr Glenice Kay HancockCommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services1 December 198622 August 1988Dr Susan Carol HayesCommissioner (part-time)Department of Corrective Services1 December 198622 August 1988David John Robert GrantDeputy Chairman and CommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services27 January 198722 August 1988Noel Stanley DayActing Director-GeneralDepartment of Corrective Services22 August 19888 March 1989Angus GrahamDirector-GeneralDepartment of Corrective Services8 March 198910 October 1991Angus GrahamCommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services10 October 1991Neville Smethurst AO MBECommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services02 May 199226 August 1996Dr Leo KeliherCommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services2002Ron Woodham PSMCommissionerDepartment of Corrective Services2002200910 yearsRon WoodhamCommissionerDepartment of Justice and Attorney General2009201210 yearsPeter SeverinCommissionerDepartment of Attorney General and Justice03 September 201220219 yearsKevin Corcoran PSMCommissionerDepartment of Communities and Justice202120243 yearsLeon TaylorActing CommissionerDepartment of Communities and Justice Corrective Services NSW (from 1 October 2024)27 November 20232 March 202515 monthsGary McCahon PSMCommissionerCorrective Services NSW3 March 2025

References