Making a complaint to the Victorian Ombudsman

You can make a complaint to the Victorian Ombudsman by:

1. Phone call
2. Writing a letter

Scroll down for more information on each option.

You can ask someone else to make a complaint for you – like a partner, family member, friend or lawyer. The Ombudsman will ask for your consent first. People outside prison can contact the Ombudsman on 1800 806 314 or complete the online form on their website.

Important: before you make a complaint to the Ombudsman – 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.

Phone call

You can use the free line to call the Ombudsman from 9am – 5pm on weekdays:

• Enter your prisoner ID number
• Press *05

The call is free of charge, and the Ombudsman number does not need to be on your phone list.

There is a 12-minute maximum call time. Calls to the Ombudsman should not be recorded or monitored. If you call the number and get the warning that your call is being recorded, hang up and tell prison staff immediately.

Writing a letter

You can write a letter using the following address:

Victorian Ombudsman
Level 2, 570 Bourke St
Melbourne VIC 3000

Mail to the Ombudsman is free of charge.

Important: mail to the VO is exempt mail. That means prison officers are not allowed to open your letters to or from the Ombudsman, except in very specific circumstances. Letters to the Ombudsman must also be sent immediately. For more information, see our Mail section.

Can I make an anonymous complaint to the Ombudsman?

You can make an anonymous complaint to the Ombudsman, but it means they will not be able contact you about your complaint.

You can also make a complaint to the Ombudsman and ask them not to tell the prison who you are. If this is what you want, you need to let the Ombudsman know straight away when you first make your complaint, otherwise they will give your contact details to the prison. This might apply if you want the prison to do or change something generally. If you want the prison to do or change something relating to you specifically, this may be impossible if the prison doesn’t know who you are.

If you are making a complaint of improper conduct, your complaint should be kept confidential from the prison. Improper conduct means things like:

• Criminal or corrupt activity by prison staff
• Prison staff accepting gifts from prisoners in exchange for special treatment
• Prison staff stealing things like money or equipment from the prison to keep for themselves
• Actions that are a risk to public health, safety or to the environment, like ignoring a serious threat or risk to someone’s safety
• Prison staff misusing a prisoner’s personal information, whether it’s for personal benefit or not

Source: Victorian Ombudsman website