3 steps: Making a complaint about personal information privacy

Important: before you make a complaint, read about how to get your complaint ready by using the link on the left side of this page – Collecting information and making a complaint.

There are 3 steps you can take to complain about personal information privacy:

1. Complain to the Privacy Contact Officer at your prison
2. Complain to the Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS) Information Privacy Unit
3. Complain to the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC)

Step 1: Complain to the Privacy Contact Officer at your prison

All prisons run by the Department of Justice and Community Safety have a Privacy Contact Officer.

If your prison is run by a private company, they may have their own privacy complaint process. You should speak to your case manager or unit manager to find out how to make a privacy complaint.

Complaints to the Privacy Contact Officer in writing (a letter) or in person. It can be helpful to make a complaint in writing so that you have a hard copy of what you said and any response you get.

Important: make sure you keep a record of any complaints you make, and any response you get from prison staff.

When making a complaint to the Privacy Contact Officer,make sure you let them know:

• What went wrong
• How the issue impacted you
• What would make things right for you

It can help to think about these points and make some notes of what you want to say before you talk to the Privacy Contact Officer. This means you will feel prepared and more likely to say everything you want to say.

Step 2: Make a complaint to the Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS) Information Privacy Unit

If you are unhappy with how the Privacy Contact Office handled your complaint, you can contact the DJCS Information Privacy Unit.

By phone

• Call 03 8684 0178

Calling this number is not free of charge. You will need to add the DJCS Information Privacy Unit to your phone list.

By email:

• privacy@justice.vic.gov.au

Step 3: Make a complaint to the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC)

If you are unhappy with how the Privacy Contact Officer at your prison or Information Privacy Unit at Corrections Victoria responds to your complaint, or they didn’t respond at all, you can complain to the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC).

Important:

• You will need to try complaining to the Privacy Contact Officer or Information Privacy Unit before you complain to OVIC. If you haven’t, they might refuse to take your complaint.
• OVIC only takes complaints about personal information privacy. They don’t take complaints about health information. For information on how to make a complaint about health information privacy, use the link on the left side of this page.

How to make a complaint to OVIC

Making a complaint to OVIC is free and you don’t need to have a lawyer.

You can make a complaint to OVIC by writing a letter.

People outside prison can contact OVIC by calling (03) 8684 7565.

Writing a letter

You can write a letter to the following address:

Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner
PO Box 24274
Melbourne VIC 3001

Mail to OVIC is free of charge.

Important: mail to OVIC is exempt mail. That means prison officers are not allowed to open your letters to or from OVIC, except in very specific circumstances. For more information on Mail, click here.

What to include in your complaint:

• Tell them you want to make a complaint
• As much detail as you can – this will help OVIC understand your complaint and save time asking you for more information later
• Any evidence you have either to support your complaint or show how you have been affected by the privacy issue
• What you want OVIC to do about the issue – try to be specific and realistic about what you are hoping for

Source: OVIC website, DCJS website