Acting Inspector of Custodial Services appointed

Friday, 10 April 2026

The NSW Government has appointed Sallie McLean as acting Inspector of Custodial Services for a period of up to 12 months.

The Inspector of Custodial Services is an independent statutory body that reviews the conditions, treatment and outcomes for adults and young people in custody.

Ms McLean is a senior public servant with more than 14 years of experience providing advice to Government in matters of policy and law reform. She has held positions at the NSW and Australian Law Reform Commissions, Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and the Department of Communities and Justice. 

Most recently, Ms McLean has been a Director at the Department of Communities and Justice where she led policy and law reform across key areas including domestic and family violence, law enforcement and the broader justice system. This work included the introduction and monitoring of the offence of coercive control and introducing and reviewing affirmative consent legislation in NSW.

As acting Inspector of Custodial Services, Ms McLean will carry out independent inspections of adult and youth custodial centres and promote excellence in staff professional practice.

The Inspector has jurisdiction over all public and private custodial facilities in NSW including adult correctional centres, youth justice centres, court custody centres, police cells managed by Corrective Services NSW, transitional centres, inmate and/or detainee transport and custodial residential facilities.

Outcomes of inspections and recommendations are reported directly to NSW Parliament and reports are publicly available on the NSW Government’s website.

The Inspector also manages the Official Visitors program, where independent community members from a range of backgrounds visit custodial centres across NSW and take enquiries and complaints from inmates and young people. 

Ms McLean will begin her interim appointment on 11 April 2026.