The Department of Prisons, also known as the Department of Justice, was established in 1874 with the passing of the Prisons Act of 1874. The Department was headed by the Minister of Justice, and included the office of Comptroller-General of Prisons, who was responsible for the “care, direction and control” of all prisons, juvenile reformatories, gaols, and correctional institutions in New South Wales, as well as the custody of all convicted prisoners. These duties had previously been the responsibility of the Sheriff, with the exception of management of reformatories which had been under the management of the Colonial Secretary.
The Comptroller-General of Prisons had oversight of all government-run juvenile reformatories in New South Wales from 1874 until 1893. Superintendents of reformatories were to manage the institutions under the direction of the Comptroller-General, and had to report regularly on the operation of the reformatory to the Department. In 1893 responsibility for the management of reformatories was handed back to the Colonial Secretary. From 1970 the Department became known as the Department of Corrective Services.