Prison officers throughout NSW have walked off the job after a prisoner who based four of their colleagues went unpunished by a controversial Magistrate and is set to be released back into the community.

Officers at Cessnock Correctional Centre, where the offence took place, were the first to walk off. They were followed by Prison officers at Bathurst Correctional Centre, then Officers at all of the state’s 36 prisons and those in court escort roles.

The offender, Cameron Welsh, bashed four prison officers earlier this year at the Cessnock Correctional Centre leaving them with sickening facial injuries. All four prison officers were hospitalised and two will never work again.

Welsh was transferred to Goulburn High Risk Management Correctional Centre or ‘Supermax’ and isolated from other prisoners.

However, yesterday a Magistrate refused to add any time to Welsh’s sentence meaning he can leave prison as early as tomorrow.

Mr Welsh, 26, has a history of violence, in 2023 he was arrested for bashing two men with a baseball bat in the Hunter.

Public Service Association (PSA) President Nicole Jess, herself a Senior Correctional Officer, said it’s beggars belief Welsh has not been punished for the vicious assault on the four prison officers earlier this year.

“This tells the community it’s OK to bash Prison Officers, that you won’t be punished if you do it and you’ll be able to return to the community,” says Ms Jess.

“In giving Mr Welsh a slap on the wrist this Magistrate has delivered a slap in the face to every Prison Officer in this state who keep our community safe from those who’ve forfeited their right to walk amongst us.”

PSA General Secretary Stewart Little says he can’t believe any Magistrate in the state would deliver such a misguided judgement.

“My phone has gone into meltdown, I’ve had prison officers ringing me all day absolutely incandescent with rage at the signal this Magistrate has sent to the community.”

Mr Little and Ms Jess have had a number of media appearances. Talking to journalists, Mr Little said for the Officers represented by the PSA to do their job, “the magistrates have to do theirs”.