About the Department
The Corrections Department of the Velocity Interoperability Network is responsible for the safe and decent custody of persons committed by the courts of the Velocity Interoperability Network, for their rehabilitation while in custody, and for their supervision and resettlement on release. It does not decide who is sent to custody or for how long; those are matters for the courts, on which the Department reports to the Justice Department of the Network.
The Department was established on 6 September 2026, when it assumed responsibility for five custodial establishments and one court custody suite that had been operated under interim arrangements by member organisations since 10 August 2026. At establishment it held 1,046 persons against an operational capacity of 1,340 places, and employed 1,120 staff. The register of its establishments is set out on the Custody page.
The Department is led by a head of department, to whom the head of each establishment, the director of rehabilitation and resettlement and the head of the inspection unit report. Healthcare in custody is provided under arrangements with the Health Department of the Network, education certificates are recognised by the Education Department, and accommodation on release is provided with the Housing Department.
Responsibilities. The Department's work falls into six areas.
- Custody
- The safe, secure and decent custody of persons committed by the courts of the Network, in five establishments and a court custody suite.
- Standards and inspection
- Seven published standards applied in every establishment, inspected by a unit reporting directly to the head of the Department, with a complaints procedure open to everyone held.
- Family contact
- Visits, letters and telephone calls as an entitlement, with staff in every establishment whose task is to help families keep in touch.
- Rehabilitation
- A sentence plan for every sentenced person, and the education, vocational training, work and offending behaviour programmes through which it is carried out.
- Release and resettlement
- Planned release with an address, income, identification and healthcare in place, supervision on licence and support in the first weeks in the community.
- Statistics and reporting
- Quarterly statistical releases on population, capacity, receptions and releases, safety and complaints, and the published reports of every inspection.
For the Department's origins and the milestones since its establishment, see History; for answers to common questions, see the frequently asked questions. General enquiries may be sent to contact@corrections.gov.vin.