❓ Hon. Michael Mischin questions the McGowan Government on its approach to imprisoning fine defaulters, seeking data and documentation regarding policy changes and discretion exercised since taking office. The response refers to another question for further details.
AnsweredQoN 3013Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer
to the Attorney General’s response to a question from the Member for Maylands
on 25 September 2019, and ask : (a) precisely how many ‘fine defaulters’ were in prison in the last year of the Barnett Government and how many individuals were in prison for fine default alone; (b) in what manner was the McGowan Government ‘pushing back’, please table any documents to that effect; (c) in what manner was the McGowan Government ‘asking the registrar to exercise more discretion’, please table any documents to that effect; (d) in what manner had the McGowan Government up until then suppressed imprisonment as a sanction for fine default, please table any documents to that effect; and (e) was it by instructions or policy or practice statements or guidelines regarding the issue of, or execution of warrants of commitment for, fine default pending the expected passage of the Fines, Penalties and Infringement Notices Enforcement Amendment Bill 2019 : (i) if yes to (e), please table any documents to that effect?
to the Attorney General’s response to a question from the Member for Maylands
on 25 September 2019, and ask : (a) precisely how many ‘fine defaulters’ were in prison in the last year of the Barnett Government and how many individuals were in prison for fine default alone; (b) in what manner was the McGowan Government ‘pushing back’, please table any documents to that effect; (c) in what manner was the McGowan Government ‘asking the registrar to exercise more discretion’, please table any documents to that effect; (d) in what manner had the McGowan Government up until then suppressed imprisonment as a sanction for fine default, please table any documents to that effect; and (e) was it by instructions or policy or practice statements or guidelines regarding the issue of, or execution of warrants of commitment for, fine default pending the expected passage of the Fines, Penalties and Infringement Notices Enforcement Amendment Bill 2019 : (i) if yes to (e), please table any documents to that effect?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
9 September 2020
Responded by
Minister for Environment representing the Minister for Corrective Services
Response time
9 days
(a) For the period 1 March 2016 to 28 February 2017:
Fine Default Only
Fine Default & Remand
Stays
Persons
Stays
Persons
924
919
1,827
1,787
The estimated cost of detention for those imprisoned for fine default alone during this period, using the Justice Pipeline Model (JPM) costings provided by Treasury for the 2017-2018 period, is $6,673,030. This does not include the cost of writing off the fines for these detainees.
‘Fine Default Only’ refers to all adult prison stays where, at discharge, the individual was only ever sentenced for fine default offences, and had no remand warrant.
‘Fine Default & Remand’ refers to all adult prison stays where, at any point, the individual had one or more remand warrants and also a fine default sentence, but no non-fine default sentence. The individual may have had non-fine default sentences at another point in the stay – for example, their fines were cut out while on remand and they were subsequently sentenced for other reasons.
(b)-(e) Please refer to Legislative Council Question on Notice 3014.
Fine Default Only
Fine Default & Remand
Stays
Persons
Stays
Persons
924
919
1,827
1,787
The estimated cost of detention for those imprisoned for fine default alone during this period, using the Justice Pipeline Model (JPM) costings provided by Treasury for the 2017-2018 period, is $6,673,030. This does not include the cost of writing off the fines for these detainees.
‘Fine Default Only’ refers to all adult prison stays where, at discharge, the individual was only ever sentenced for fine default offences, and had no remand warrant.
‘Fine Default & Remand’ refers to all adult prison stays where, at any point, the individual had one or more remand warrants and also a fine default sentence, but no non-fine default sentence. The individual may have had non-fine default sentences at another point in the stay – for example, their fines were cut out while on remand and they were subsequently sentenced for other reasons.
(b)-(e) Please refer to Legislative Council Question on Notice 3014.
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