Israel Prison Organization Structure

The IPS is headed by the Commissioner of Prisons, who is appointed by the government at the recommendation of the Minister of Internal Security.

Subordinate to the Commissioner is the IPS Commission. It comprises five Executive Divisions, which link the Commissioner to the Executive HQ Units, and three District Commands, which convey the Commissioner's directives to field units, i.e. the prisons.

• The IPS Commission is the executive headquarters administering the prison system.

• The Commission comprises five Executive Divisions:
  • Security
  • Planning
  • Personnel
  • Logistics Prisoner Care and Rehabilitation.

• It also contains six Supra-Divisional Units directly subordinated to the Commissioner:
  • Projects
  • Disciplinary Court
  • Finance
  • Intelligence
  • Legal Counsel
  • Internal Audit

The reorganization of the Commission continued into 1995, its main theme being the division of the Commission into two branches:

• an Operations Branch, headed by the Deputy Commissioner
• an Administrative-Organizational Branch, headed by the chief of staff.

The Deputy Commissioner serves as Director of the Security Division, as well as holding responsibility for Prisoner Care and Rehabilitation.

The Chief of Staff heads the Planning Division, as well as holding responsibility for the Personnel and Logistics Divisions. He also coordinates the work of the Internal Audit and Finance Units.

The Prisons - the prisons and detention centers (for those detained in custody until the end of proceedings against them) are the Prison Service's line units. The prisons are immediately subordinate to the District Commands, as well as being subject to the instructions and guidance of the specialist managers at Commission Headquarters.

 Organizational Structure of an I.P.S. Prison (Diagram)
 Organizational Structure of an I.P.S. District (Diagram)