Sheep shearing is probably the most iconic activity in rural Australia.

CSI Agriculture at Mannus Correctional Centre plays a vital role in providing real world experience in sheep farming. With over 3,000 sheep, the CSI team and people in custody employed to work on the farm have their hands full.

A key responsibility in maintaining healthy and happy sheep involves harvesting their fleece also known as shearing. Shearing is necessary for the health of sheep and if it is not done, the fleece can become overgrown and impact the animal.

At Mannus, sheep are generally shorn late November or early December each year. Our most recent activity in late 2024 involved shearing 1,600 ewes over two days. The shearing involved four external shearing contractors, two CSI Overseers, and ten inmates. During these sessions, external shearers were not only completing the shearing work, but also training inmates as part of their education.

A week later, the inmates sheared 1,500 lambs in two days.

The process for the shearing includes:

• Sheep being yarded or placed in nearby pens the day before for easy access the following morning.
• From there they are pushed into the shearing shed where the shearers can access the sheep one by one.
• Once shorn the wool is classed up and placed into a wool press to be sent away for sale.
• Shorn sheep are placed down a ramp under the shearing shed, that leads to an outside yard.
• They are then processed through the yards and treated if required for things such as lice (backline sprayed across the sheep’s back), worms and parasites (oral drench) and diseases (vaccination by injection)

Australia's shearers and shearing sheds are truly world class, with shearer and animal welfare being the number one priority. The CSI Agriculture department is no exception. Onsite Agriculture Overseer Mr McInnes says “The shearing school will give them an opportunity to learn new skills and give them something to look forward to if they are inspired to join the industry. If we get three to four new shearers out of the Centre, someone will benefit from their experience.” 

Mannus Correctional Centre offers courses in Shearing, Crutching and Wool Classing. An emphasis is placed on teaching good technique, rather than relying on strength which assists with attracting a  broader range of people in custody to engage in the course and feel proud of the work they do, supported by education and qualifications to enhance the opportunity for post release employment.

Read the comments we received from some inmates who participated in the most recent shearing.

“It is good to learn shearing because I will use it when I get out. I am learning how to shear from the professional shearers here [inmates] and I will do the shearing course in December because it’s good to learn something new. The boys who can already shear taught me about the footwork – there is a lot of footwork in shearing, and I didn’t know that. The whole farming experience is great because I am a city boy. I worry about cutting the sheep, that’s why I take it slow, it’s hard physically and you must remember the pattern of going over the sheep’s body.”

“It is hard work, and I am always hungry. Thanks to our Overseer for the experience. I am a professional shearer and I never thought I would be able to do this in goal!”