ICAC to probe SA corrections

South Australian Department of Correctional Services is to face scrutiny by the office of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption.

Commissioner Bruce Lander says his deputy Michael Riches will conduct an inquiry into the practices, policies and procedures of the department.

"An evaluation is a useful means of gaining an in-depth understanding of a public authority's operations and how it guards against risks of corruption, misconduct and maladministration," Mr Riches said in a statement on Monday.

"The evaluation will offer an opportunity to make recommendations for improvements while highlighting innovative and effective approaches to integrity risks."

Among a number of issues, the inquiry will look at the management of staff, information handling and any unique issues associated with the custodial environment.

Mr Riches said he would call for submissions in the coming months and hoped to report his findings to parliament by the end of the year.

A similar ICAC inquiry into the SA health found the department was plagued by poor governance, bad record-keeping and vague and ambiguous policies.

Mr Lander described the department's entire operations as "troubling" and said its issues had frustrated his attempts to identify corruption.