Victoria's lowly-paid prison officers aren't drug tested even if they're involved in violent or critical incidents at work, an anti-corruption report has warned.
An Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission report released on Thursday found the corrections system was also facing "challenges" due to rapid staff expansion.
It warned prison officers were susceptible to corruption due to their low pay, violent working conditions, and potential drug use.
"There is no power to direct corrections officers working in public prisons in Victoria to undergo drug tests, even when an officer is suspected of using illicit drugs in a correctional facility, or for officers involved in critical incidents in prisons," the report said.
"There is currently no widespread randomised testing of corrections officers to detect drug use."
That contrasts with the approach in NSW and Western Australia, where officers face randomised testing, targeted testing and testing after critical incidents.
The commission found the unique nature of the corrections sector made it particularly vulnerable to corruption risks, including smuggling drugs, excessive use of force, and inappropriate relationships.
It also found the rapid growth in corrections staff numbers meant there needed to be continuous improvement in policies to prevent corruption.
