20 November 2025
Integrity Oversight Victoria has revealed at least 115 listening devices were permanently installed in prisons by Victoria Police between 2000 and 2018 without authority of a warrant -- many during their construction and renovation.
Following the review of 99 warrants issued between 2008 and 2024 relating to the use of listening devices in some Victorian prisons, Integrity Oversight Victoria found that Victoria Police did not disclose the existing presence of listening devices to the judge or the Public Interest Monitor when applying for warrants. Most applications were for the ‘installation and use’ of listening devices. In practice, the devices were mostly activated or de-activated and installation and retrieval of a device never occurred.
While there was no evidence of listening devices being used without authority in prisons, IOV found there were no contemporaneous records to definitively confirm the listening devices were only activated in accordance with warrants.
Victoria Police advises it immediately terminated use of these listening devices upon becoming aware of these issues. Victoria Police is working to determine the use of information collected from these devices so it can carry out a disclosure process for any relevant prosecutions.
Integrity Oversight Victoria has made 8 recommendations to Victoria Police to improve transparency and provide a higher level of confidence in the installation and use of listening devices in prisons. Victoria Police accepted all 8 recommendations.
A future review by Integrity Oversight Victoria will address how permanent listening devices came to be integrated into Victorian prisons and what effect recommendations about listening devices in the Victorian Ombudsman’s report into the death of Mr Carl Williams at HM Barwon Prison may have had on Victoria Police’s practices.
Read the full report Permanent-installation-of-listening-devices-in-prisons-and-their-use-by-Victoria-Police.pdf
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