❓ The Minister for Justice outlines improvements to the justice system, including sentencing, offender management, and victim services, while criticizing the previous government's handling of these issues.
AnsweredQoN 1383Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Can the minister update the House on the important changes to the justice system, particularly sentencing and offender management? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Girrawheen for the question. The member will be well aware of our Government’s commitment to a well-resourced and effective justice system. I am very pleased to be able to outline to the House the significant differences we have made since we came to government. We have enacted tough new sentencing legislation to make it easier for the courts to deny parole and for the Parole Board to deny the release of serious and repeat offenders. When we came to office, there were only 74 community corrections officers. Now, nearly double that number supervise those people in the community. Our Government has also committed resources to ensuring that offenders address their offending behaviour. We have provided an additional $2 million in programs and staff to further reduce offending. We have funded the re-entry program. Our Government has introduced strict new training and certification for community corrections officers and invested in the creation of a new risk assessment model to ensure that offenders are managed according to their risk to the community. This Government has expanded victim services and mediation programs through the courts to give victims greater participation in the justice system. It has also funded a regional program for officers in remote and regional areas to work with local agencies to further develop offender programs. Our Government delivered on the offender management system, which the recent Skinner report praised as world’s best practice. It is interesting how those opposite like to talk about their concern for community safety. However, it is clear that when they left office, offender management was in a shambles. It was under resourced and in desperate need of upgrade. It just shows how little they care about these important issues. As usual, who sorted out the mess? The Gallop Government did.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for Girrawheen for the question. The member will be well aware of our Government’s commitment to a well-resourced and effective justice system. I am very pleased to be able to outline to the House the significant differences we have made since we came to government. We have enacted tough new sentencing legislation to make it easier for the courts to deny parole and for the Parole Board to deny the release of serious and repeat offenders. When we came to office, there were only 74 community corrections officers. Now, nearly double that number supervise those people in the community. Our Government has also committed resources to ensuring that offenders address their offending behaviour. We have provided an additional $2 million in programs and staff to further reduce offending. We have funded the re-entry program. Our Government has introduced strict new training and certification for community corrections officers and invested in the creation of a new risk assessment model to ensure that offenders are managed according to their risk to the community. This Government has expanded victim services and mediation programs through the courts to give victims greater participation in the justice system. It has also funded a regional program for officers in remote and regional areas to work with local agencies to further develop offender programs. Our Government delivered on the offender management system, which the recent Skinner report praised as world’s best practice. It is interesting how those opposite like to talk about their concern for community safety. However, it is clear that when they left office, offender management was in a shambles. It was under resourced and in desperate need of upgrade. It just shows how little they care about these important issues. As usual, who sorted out the mess? The Gallop Government did.
I thank the member for Girrawheen for the question. The member will be well aware of our Government’s commitment to a well-resourced and effective justice system. I am very pleased to be able to outline to the House the significant differences we have made since we came to government. We have enacted tough new sentencing legislation to make it easier for the courts to deny parole and for the Parole Board to deny the release of serious and repeat offenders. When we came to office, there were only 74 community corrections officers. Now, nearly double that number supervise those people in the community. Our Government has also committed resources to ensuring that offenders address their offending behaviour. We have provided an additional $2 million in programs and staff to further reduce offending. We have funded the re-entry program. Our Government has introduced strict new training and certification for community corrections officers and invested in the creation of a new risk assessment model to ensure that offenders are managed according to their risk to the community. This Government has expanded victim services and mediation programs through the courts to give victims greater participation in the justice system. It has also funded a regional program for officers in remote and regional areas to work with local agencies to further develop offender programs. Our Government delivered on the offender management system, which the recent Skinner report praised as world’s best practice. It is interesting how those opposite like to talk about their concern for community safety. However, it is clear that when they left office, offender management was in a shambles. It was under resourced and in desperate need of upgrade. It just shows how little they care about these important issues. As usual, who sorted out the mess? The Gallop Government did.
It is interesting how those opposite like to talk about their concern for community safety. However, it is clear that when they left office, offender management was in a shambles. It was under resourced and in desperate need of upgrade. It just shows how little they care about these important issues. As usual, who sorted out the mess? The Gallop Government did.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for Girrawheen for the question. The member will be well aware of our Government’s commitment to a well-resourced and effective justice system. I am very pleased to be able to outline to the House the significant differences we have made since we came to government. We have enacted tough new sentencing legislation to make it easier for the courts to deny parole and for the Parole Board to deny the release of serious and repeat offenders. When we came to office, there were only 74 community corrections officers. Now, nearly double that number supervise those people in the community. Our Government has also committed resources to ensuring that offenders address their offending behaviour. We have provided an additional $2 million in programs and staff to further reduce offending. We have funded the re-entry program. Our Government has introduced strict new training and certification for community corrections officers and invested in the creation of a new risk assessment model to ensure that offenders are managed according to their risk to the community. This Government has expanded victim services and mediation programs through the courts to give victims greater participation in the justice system. It has also funded a regional program for officers in remote and regional areas to work with local agencies to further develop offender programs. Our Government delivered on the offender management system, which the recent Skinner report praised as world’s best practice. It is interesting how those opposite like to talk about their concern for community safety. However, it is clear that when they left office, offender management was in a shambles. It was under resourced and in desperate need of upgrade. It just shows how little they care about these important issues. As usual, who sorted out the mess? The Gallop Government did.
I thank the member for Girrawheen for the question. The member will be well aware of our Government’s commitment to a well-resourced and effective justice system. I am very pleased to be able to outline to the House the significant differences we have made since we came to government. We have enacted tough new sentencing legislation to make it easier for the courts to deny parole and for the Parole Board to deny the release of serious and repeat offenders. When we came to office, there were only 74 community corrections officers. Now, nearly double that number supervise those people in the community. Our Government has also committed resources to ensuring that offenders address their offending behaviour. We have provided an additional $2 million in programs and staff to further reduce offending. We have funded the re-entry program. Our Government has introduced strict new training and certification for community corrections officers and invested in the creation of a new risk assessment model to ensure that offenders are managed according to their risk to the community. This Government has expanded victim services and mediation programs through the courts to give victims greater participation in the justice system. It has also funded a regional program for officers in remote and regional areas to work with local agencies to further develop offender programs. Our Government delivered on the offender management system, which the recent Skinner report praised as world’s best practice. It is interesting how those opposite like to talk about their concern for community safety. However, it is clear that when they left office, offender management was in a shambles. It was under resourced and in desperate need of upgrade. It just shows how little they care about these important issues. As usual, who sorted out the mess? The Gallop Government did.
It is interesting how those opposite like to talk about their concern for community safety. However, it is clear that when they left office, offender management was in a shambles. It was under resourced and in desperate need of upgrade. It just shows how little they care about these important issues. As usual, who sorted out the mess? The Gallop Government did.
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