A WA parliamentary question on notice regarding the parole system following a tragic death caused by an offender on parole, questioning the government's policy on re-imprisoning high-risk parolees for breaches and the handling of reporting failures.

AnsweredQoN 958Legislative Assembly
Asked
20 August 2003
Portfolio
Justice

QuestionView source ↗

I refer the minister to the tragic death of a young woman caused by an offender on parole and further to the comments of the former Minister for Justice in this House on 27 September 2001 about the parole system when he stated - People breach their parole in two primary ways. The first is by not complying with their reporting requirements . . . . . . if it is of a minor nature, of a procedural nature, then there might be a greater tolerance shown . . . that is the broad thrust of what we are going to try and do, not to put people back inside for procedural breaches. (1) Can the minister confirm that it is the Government’s policy to avoid putting high-risk parolees back in prison when they breach the requirements of their parole? (2) Can the minister confirm that a parolee’s failure to report to his parole officer - in this case it was on at least 12 occasions - is considered a procedural breach? (3) Has the minister ascertained whether a warrant had been issued for this offender and on what date? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS

AnswerView source ↗

(1) No. (2) I will seek further clarification from the Department of Justice. (3) The advice to me is that no official bench warrant was issued from the Department of Justice.
. . . if it is of a minor nature, of a procedural nature, then there might be a greater tolerance shown . . . that is the broad thrust of what we are going to try and do, not to put people back inside for procedural breaches.
(2) Can the minister confirm that a parolee’s failure to report to his parole officer - in this case it was on at least 12 occasions - is considered a procedural breach? (3) Has the minister ascertained whether a warrant had been issued for this offender and on what date? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1) No. (2) I will seek further clarification from the Department of Justice. (3) The advice to me is that no official bench warrant was issued from the Department of Justice.
(3) Has the minister ascertained whether a warrant had been issued for this offender and on what date? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1) No. (2) I will seek further clarification from the Department of Justice. (3) The advice to me is that no official bench warrant was issued from the Department of Justice.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1) No. (2) I will seek further clarification from the Department of Justice. (3) The advice to me is that no official bench warrant was issued from the Department of Justice.
(1) No. (2) I will seek further clarification from the Department of Justice. (3) The advice to me is that no official bench warrant was issued from the Department of Justice.
(2) I will seek further clarification from the Department of Justice. (3) The advice to me is that no official bench warrant was issued from the Department of Justice.
(3) The advice to me is that no official bench warrant was issued from the Department of Justice.

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