Defence Force Correctional Establishment (Australia)
| Location | Holsworthy Barracks, New South Wales |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 22 detainees |
| Opened | January 17, 1989 |
| Managed by | Defence Police Training Centre |
The Defence Force Correctional Establishment (DFCE) forms the highest tier of the Australian Defence Force's detention system, and is used by all the branches of the military. It was established in 1989 and has been located within Holsworthy Barracks in Sydney since 1992.
The DFCE forms the third and highest tier of the ADF's detention system, after unit detention centres and area detention centres. It is the only facility authorised to hold members of the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force who have been sentenced to more than 14 days of detention. It also serves as one of the facilities where personnel under arrest are held while awaiting trial. ADF personnel can be sentenced to up to two years imprisonment at the facility.
The main role of the DFCE is to rehabilitate members of the ADF who have been sentenced to detention for breaching military regulations or laws, though it also seeks to deter such behaviour. An article in the RAAF publication Air Force stated that the DFCE's emphasis on rehabilitation continues "a long Australian [military] tradition of rehabilitation over punishment". A 1998 review of the DFCE stated that it was not a prison, though it has been described as such in a Lawyers Weekly article.
Personnel held at the DFCE are required to participate in a very strict and intensive regime of military training. The goal of this program is to prepare them to return to active service by building respect for military authority and improving the individual's self-respect and discipline. Detainees also undertake charity activities, including supervised projects conducted away from Holsworthy. All DFCE detainees receive individual case management counselling and services, which continue after they re-join their unit. While at the DFCE, detainees can win the right to minor privileges through good behaviour.
A purpose-built complex for the DFCE was opened in 1992. It included two wings of 13 single-person cells each, with a maximum capacity of 22 people. As of 2002, one cell was being converted into a female shower block, two cells were set-aside for segregated detention and one cell had padded walls. Closed-circuit television is used to monitor detainees.
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