Transcript No Slide Title

COMMUNITY OPERATIONS
Pacific Regional Heads of Prisons Meeting
2005
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Overview
• Benefits of community based supervision
• Key features of community operations in
Queensland
• Recent initiatives
• Challenges
• The way forward
Discussion Points
• Similarities and differences –
our justice systems and our
offenders
• Community corrections
across jurisdictions
• Special needs courts
eg drug courts and indigenous
courts
• Common challenges
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Benefits of community based supervision
(Source: ABS Prisoners in Australia Cat. No. 4517.0)
Sentencing Principles
Penalties and Sentences Act 1992
– Purpose of sentencing is:
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Punishment
Rehabilitation
Deterrence
Community Condemnation
Community Protection
– Excepting for violent offenders:
• Imprisonment should be a last resort
• A community based sentence is preferable
Cost Effectiveness
• Average daily number of offenders
under community supervision in
Queensland is 12,807
– Daily cost per offender - $7.70
• Average daily number of prisoners in
Queensland is 4,375.
– Daily cost per prisoner - $147.25
(MPS 2004-5)
Infrastructure
Cairns
Mareeba
Thuring
owa
Innisfail
Palm
Island
Townsville
Cannonvale
Mt
Isa
Mackay
Rockhampton
Emer
ald
Roma
Redcliffe
Gladstone
Bunda
berg
Maryboroug
Gympie h
Noosa
Kingar
Maroochydor
oy
e
Toowoomba
Servicing Remote Communities
Field visit from Cairns Area Office
Staff Profile
Management – 55
Community – 374
Administrative – 87
Full time – 379
Part time – 41
Casual - 87
Mt Isa
Offender Profile – Court Orders
12,300 offenders
• Prison/Probation
• Intensive Drug Rehabilitation
• Intensive Correction
• Probation
• Community Service
• Fine Option
• 46% under 25 years
old
• Most common
offences:
– property related,
– minor assault,
– drugs
Post-Prison Community Supervision
1,070 offenders
•Home Detention
•Parole
•Continuing supervision
• 4% of community based
offenders are imprisoned
within 12 months of
completing a court order
• 11% of community based
offenders receive a further
order within 2 years.
• 64% of Qld prisoners have
been in prison before
• 30% of prisoners return to
prison within 2 years
Recidivism
Key Features of Community Supervision
Queensland Sentencing Options
• Recognizance
• Fine – may be converted
to community service
(Fine Option Order)
• Community Service Order
• Probation Order
• Intensive Correction Order
• Intensive Drug
Rehabilitation Order
• Suspended Imprisonment
• Imprisonment
– PPCBR
• Release to work
• Home detention
• Parole
– Continuing detention
orders
– Supervision orders
Grounds maintenance
Schools
Hospitals
Ambulance stations
Nursing homes
Cemeteries
Sporting clubs
Parks
Kitchen work
Meals on Wheels
Nursing homes
Graffiti removal
Bushland regeneration
Laundry work
Sorting charity donations for sale
Clerical work
Charity mailouts
Sorting for recycling
Roadside litter removal
Special charity events
Community Service
Offenders are assessed to:
Community Supervision
• Identify the risk behaviours
that led to offending, such
as drugs/or alcohol, anger
or poor decision making.
• Plan appropriate
surveillance strategies to
monitor risk and
compliance.
• Plan appropriate offender
interventions to reduce
risk, such as treatment,
program attendance,
restricted employment.
Offender Programs
Substance Abuse Relapse
Prevention
“Ending Offending” (Indigenous
offenders)
Sex Offender Program
Sex Offender Relapse
Prevention
“Under the Limit” (Drink
Drivers)
Anger Management
Cognitive Skills
Life skills
Domestic violence
Problem gambling
Surveillance
Drug testing
Home visits
Police and other
agency checks
Court liaison
Monitoring restitution
payments
Failure to Comply
If the offender is on
home detention or
parole, the order can be
immediately
suspended for 28
days and a warrant
issued for that person’s
return to secure custody.
If the offender is on a
court based order,
a summons or warrant
can be issued requiring
them to appear before a
court.
Recent Initiatives
Recent Initiatives
• Interstate parole transfers
• Police notification of new
offences
• Drug testing
• Murri Courts
• Drug Courts
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Interstate Parole Transfer
• Formalised approval process
• Information for parolees
• Investigation prior to transfer
Police Notification
Drug Testing
Murri Courts
Intensive Drug Rehabilitation
Challenges
Key Challenges
• Effectively targeted
supervision
• Finite resources
• High need offenders
eg mentally ill and sex
offenders
• Workforce capability
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The Way Forward
• IOMS
• Multi Agency Case
Management
• Community Engagement
• Workforce Capability
Multi-Agency Case Management
Community Engagement
Workforce Capability
Discussion Points
• Similarities and differences –
our justice systems and our
offenders
• Community corrections
across jurisdictions
• Special needs courts
eg drug courts and indigenous
courts
• Common challenges
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For more information visit our website at
www.dcs.qld.gov.au
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