Sentencing options Shortanswer question 30 minutes Australian Bureau

Sentencing options Short-answer question – 30 minutes

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2018) • OFFENDERS DECREASED IN MOST STATES AND TERRITORIES Between 2016– 17 and 2017– 18, the number of offenders proceeded against by police decreased in: • • Queensland (down 3, 115 offenders or 3%) South Australia (down 2, 909 offenders or 6%) New South Wales (down 2, 503 offenders or 2%) Western Australia (down 382 offenders or less than 1%) Australian Capital Territory (down 37 offenders or 1%) Tasmania (down 26 offenders or less than 1%) Over the same time period the Northern Territory recorded an increase in the number of offenders (651 offenders or 6%). Note: Total offender count for 2017– 18 is not available for Victoria, please refer to the Explanatory Notes.

The Conversation – Tubex, 2020 - ABS • Australia experienced a significant fall in recorded crime rates between 2002 and 2016. The murder rate fell by 33%, the rate of kidnapping/abduction fell by 29%, the robbery rate fell by 58%, the rate of burglary/break-and-enter fell by 55%, the rate of motor vehicle theft fell by 54% and the rate of other theft fell by 26%. • But over the same period, the Australian imprisonment rate grew by 36%. This is most likely due to changes in crime (increase of drugrelated crime), stricter penal policies towards certain forms of crime, but even more so, targeted policing.

Imprisonment rates have increased since 1980 s 1990 s 2000 s 2010 s Slightly descrease this year (first time)… The latest release of the Australian Bureau of Statistics Prisoners in Australia data provides a surprising change: for the first time in seven years, the national imprisonment rate has not increased. In fact, it has decreased by 1%.

• 8 different jurisdictions • As Australia consists of eight independent jurisdictions, each with its own legislation and penal culture, there are significant differences in the size of their prison populations. • All jurisdictions, except for Tasmania and Victoria, show a small decrease in their imprisonment rate over the last year. However, it’s still the case that the Northern Territory imprisons proportionally about four times as many people as the national average, followed by Western Australia (1. 6 times). Both jurisdictions having been in pole position for decades. • While imprisonment rates are historically well below the national average in Victoria, they have been increasing continuously since 2010, including over the last year.

The stagnation of the Indigenous imprisonment rate, and particularly the decrease for Indigenous women, still leaves us with a very bleak picture when it comes to Indigenous over-representation. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are still 12 times more likely to be in prison. Indigenous women are 19 times more likely than non. Indigenous women.

Crime decrease or policy changes? • Australian penal politics have strongly been driven by a “law and order” discourse, often in a bet for electoral win. However, crime and justice have been less prominent in recent state elections, or the punitive approach was not supported (see the 2014 Victorian election, and the 2015 Queensland election). • Not clear!

Who commits crime? • A cross section of the community However some risk factors: ”…being young, male, low socio-economic status, poor education, unemployment, substance use” (Weatherburn 2001)

Longitudinal study AIFS (2002) • Researchers identified a range of risk or protective factors at age 4– 5 or 10– 11 years of age that were associated with crime or delinquency at 12– 13 years. Children were at greater risk of early-onset crime or delinquency even after all other characteristics were taken into account if: • they were boys • they were Indigenous • they lived in urban areas (at 4– 5 years) • their mother had been injured, assaulted or had an illness (at 10– 11 years) • their mother smoked regularly during pregnancy • they were more sociable (at 4– 5 years) • they had significant attention problems (at 4– 5 years) • they had greater peer problems (at 10– 11 years) • they experienced higher levels of harsh parenting (at 10– 11 years)

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2015)

ABS 2018 • The most common offences/charges for prisoners were • Acts intended to cause injury (22%); • Illicit drug offences (16%); • Sexual assault and related offences (12%); and • Unlawful entry with intent (10%). (Table 1)

Aims of sentencing/punishment DR. DIP • Deterrence – general or specific • Rehabilitation • Denunciation • Incapacitation (protection) • Punishment (retribution) Judge take these aims into consideration when sentencing

Labe, who has worked as a DJ under the name "Funknukl", told his friends he wanted to headbutt Mr Abbott. When he saw Mr Abbott walk past a short time later, Labe followed the former prime minister and asked if he could shake his hand. When Mr Abbott extended his hand, Labe grabbed it and headbutted him, before walking off and saying "you f***ing deserved it". Mr Abbott was left with a swollen lip after the incident. The magistrate told Labe it would have been difficult for a politician to refuse a handshake.

A 38 -year-old Hobart DJ charged with assaulting former prime minister Tony Abbott says he is a lone anarchist that "felt the need to headbutt Tony Abbott because I didn't think it was an opportunity I'd get again". Labe pleaded guilty in January to causing harm to a Commonwealth public official after the incident on Hobart's waterfront on September 21, 2017.

Was DJ Astro Labe made an example of? Did his punishment fit the crime…. ? Are some people “more” protected in the eyes of the law? Astro Labe, 38, was sentenced to six months in prison and will be eligible for parole after two months, upon which he will be required to pay $2, 000 and commit no offence for two years. He is subject to probation for 12 months after his release and will be required to undergo alcohol and drug counselling. Magistrate Daly acknowledged Labe's cooperation with investigators, and his early guilty plea, but said the sentence needed to be a deterrent to others.

Other factors judges consider… • Seriousness of the offence • Prevalence of the type of offence • Impact on victim – taking into account age/circumstances of victim • Premeditation • Degree of participation – leader, minor role? • Aggravating or mitigating factors

Aggravating • offences committed whilst subject to bail, bonds and parole; • ongoing recidivist offending of a similar nature; • ongoing and sustained offending over a period of time (a course of conduct of similar offending); • offences which abuse positions of trust; • offences which demonstrate a blatant disregard for the authority of the court; • premeditated, planned and carefully orchestrated offending; • violent offending; • offending motivated by greed; and • offences which are difficult to detect.

Mitigating • • • demonstrated prospects of rehabilitation; contrition; feeling remorseful reparation; making amends for wrongdoing offending based on need rather than greed; unplanned, spur of the moment offending; the physical and mental health of the defendant leading up to the offence; the misfortunes of the defendant leading up to the offence; dependants; cooperating with the investigation of the offence; previous unblemished character of the defendant; the age of the offender (youth); and risk of loss of employment.

Sentencing Options – Sentencing Act 1997 TAS Imprisonment Home Detention and Community Suspended term of imprisonment (partially or wholly) Corrections Orders Drug treatment orders have been added as of 2019 Community Service Order Probation Order Fine Adjournment with Undertakings, i. e. “good behaviour bond’ (with or without a conviction) • Record a conviction and discharge the offender • Dismiss the charge without conviction • •

STEBBEINGS B A • I am satisfied that a fine is the appropriate sentence. You are unable to pay a fine immediately, but arrangements can be made to pay it over time. • Benjamin Stebbeings, you are convicted of possessing a controlled plant contrary to the Misuse of Drugs Act, s 25. I order that the nine ballast boxes seized by police on 28 January 2016 are forfeited to the State. You are fined $2, 500. I may only allow 28 days to pay. If you require longer you may apply to enter into a repayment arrangement.

HAY S T … I do not think it is necessary to send him to prison. Instead I will impose a wholly suspended sentence of imprisonment, require him to perform some community service, and require him to submit to the supervision of a probation officer for 12 months. Stephen Thomas Hay, I convict you and sentence to 12 months’ imprisonment, wholly suspended on conditions that (a) you are not to commit any offence punishable by imprisonment for a period of 18 months; and (b) you are to perform 160 hours’ community service within the next 30 months. I make a community correction order, to operate for 12 months from today, with special conditions that (a) during that period you must be subject to the supervision of a probation officer as required by the probation officer; and (b) you must attend, participate in, and complete the EQUIPS Domestic Abuse Program as directed by a probation officer. I direct that the crime of aggravated assault, the other two assaults, and the offence of destroying property, be recorded on your criminal record as family violence offences.

DRAKE T J • However I have decided, instead of a home detention order, to impose a sentence of imprisonment but wholly suspend it on conditions. You should clearly understand that if you commit another offence while the suspended sentence is in place, you will be required to serve it unless that is unjust. In other words, you would very likely go to prison. • Tamara Drake, you are convicted. You are sentenced to imprisonment for seven months. I wholly suspend that term for two years from today. It is a condition of that order that while it is in force you do not commit any offence punishable by imprisonment. If you breach that condition then, as I have explained, a court must order that you serve that term unless it is unjust

DRAKE T J continued • . I impose a further condition that, for 18 months from today, you are to be subject to the supervision of a probation officer. The conditions which the law imposes on that order include that you must report to a probation officer at the office of Community corrections in Burnie on or before 5 pm tomorrow, 8 September 2020, you must, during the operation period of the order, report to a probation officer as required by the probation officer and comply with the reasonable and lawful directions of a probation officer or a supervisor, you must not, during the period of the order, leave, or remain outside, Tasmania without the permission of a probation officer and you must, during the period of the order, give notice to a probation officer of any change of address or employment before, or within 2 working days after, the change. I impose special conditions that, during that period, you must attend educational and other programs, undergo assessment and treatment for alcohol or drug dependency, submit to testing for alcohol or drug use and submit to medical, psychological or psychiatric assessment or treatment as directed by a probation officer. If you breach any of those conditions you may be brought back to court and re-sentenced.

TAJC Recognising the seriousness of any involvement in theft of firearms, but taking into account all of the complex circumstances of this case, including the defendant’s role and his motivation, and the fact that all of the property was fortunately recovered. And recognising the defendant’s late plea of guilty and his desire to address the cause of his offending, he is convicted of the crimes to which he has pleaded guilty, and I impose a single sentence of 18 months’ imprisonment backdated to 16 August 2019, with the balance from today suspended on condition that he commit no offence involving dishonesty for a period of 18 months.

Youth Justice Act (1997) Tasmania • youth means a person who is 10 or more years old but less than 18 years old at the time when the offence the person has committed, or is suspected of having committed, occurred; • General principles: - Rehabilitation - Community involvement - Cultural awareness - Children should not be treated as adults

What does society think? • Media portrayal of crime – what do we see? • Crime is sensationalised through the selection of atypical—usually violent— crimes which are given more prominence than common crimes. • Crime is presented as basically random in nature and thus a threat to everyone in the same way (Ericson, Baranek & Chan 1991). • In the context of moral panics, the focus is often on public disorder or ‘street’ offences (AUSTLII)

What’s the reality? • Trend: An overall decrease in crime • Between 2016 -2017, and 2017 -2018, the number of offenders decreased in all states and territories except NT (ABS, 2019) • In Australia, a substantial part of the population incorrectly believe crime rates are increasing when, in fact, they are stable or declining (Weatherburn & Indermaur 2004). • Research has found that women, older people and more poorly educated people hold less accurate perceptions of actual crime rates than those who are male, younger and more highly educated (Indermaur & Roberts 2005).

Imprisonment • Imprisonment involves incapacitation of an individual in a total institution. • Most serious sentencing option in Tas (and Australia). • Key aims – punishment (retribution), deterrence (individual and general) and protection of the community via incapacitation. • Current situation – prison population is at its highest ever recorded level (ABS, 2017 -18) • Overrepresentation of indigenous Australians – 2% of Aus’ total population but 27% of Aus’ total prison population • Recidivism rates In Australia overall, 44. 8% of prisoners released during 2014 -15 returned to prison within two years (to 2016 -17). Australian Productivity Commission(2018)

Why are recidivism rates so high? • Post-release difficulties: barriers to successful reintegration. • • Limited access to financial resources Limited access to housing Limited contact with family Limited knowledge of social support and health services • Providing opportunities to learn criminal behaviour and attitudes from others while in custody • Stigma of being labelled reduces opportunities to pursue a non-criminal way of life on release. • Prison reinforces criminal identity (labelling theory) • Deters or severs social ties that encourage lawful behaviour

Does this sentencing option meet the aims of sentencing? Deterrence (specific and general) Rehabilitation Denunciation Incapacitation Punishment (retribution)

Punishment • For punishment to work it has to be predictable. Punishment also has to be applied at maximum intensity to work, or else tolerance and temporary effects result. Yet applying very intense levels of punishment for many offences goes against our sense of justice and fairness (Lydon, Healy, Moran & Foody, 2015) • Punishment also has to be immediate. Delayed punishment provides opportunities for other behaviours to be reinforced. In reality, it often takes months – if not years – for someone to be apprehended, appear in court and be sentenced. (Lydon et al. 2015)

Deterrence definition At its most basic, deterrence can be described as the avoidance of a given action through fear of the perceived consequences. In the context of the criminal law, deterrence has been expressed as ‘the avoidance of criminal acts through fear of punishment’ (von Hirsch et al. , 1999, p. 5)

Sentencing Advisory Council Victoria – Daniel Ritchie 2011 • Deterrence theory is based upon the classical economic theory of rational choice, which assumes that people weigh up the costs and benefits of a particular course of action whenever they make a decision. Deterrence theory relies on the assumption that offenders have knowledge of the threat of a criminal sanction and then make a rational choice whether or not to offend based upon consideration of that knowledge

Sentencing Advisory Council Victoria – Daniel Ritchie 2011 • Rational choice theory, however, does not adequately account for a large number of offenders who may be considered ‘irrational’. Examples? • The majority of those entering Australian prisons have a history of drug use that is directly related to their offending.

Sentencing Advisory Council Victoria – Daniel Ritchie 2011 • Setting an example (general deterrence) may conflict with the proportionality factor of sentencing. • In terms of specific deterrence, imprisonment is also thought not to work due to the criminogenic nature of prisons. In other words, the prison is a ‘crime school’. Further, people can become institutionalised.

Sentencing Advisory Council Victoria – Daniel Ritchie 2011 • Overall, imprisonment does little to deter criminal behaviour. • However, many would argue that imprisonment has its place in the criminal justice system. Lengthy terms of imprisonment may be justified to achieve the purposes of punishment and denunciation, to protect the community by the incapacitation of an offender or to provide time for rehabilitative treatment

The cost of prison in Australia • According to 2017 Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) Report: Australia spends $110, 000 per prisoner per year. $4 billion per year

Rehabilitation? Elise Archer Rosie Martin • Thursday 6 th June 2019 - An additional $150, 000 will be provided to continue a program aimed at developing literacy and communication skills for men and women in Tasmanian prisons. • The Chatter Matters Tasmania Just Time program was developed by 2017 Tasmanian Australian of the Year, Rosie Martin, which we were proud to fund last year as a pilot program. • Chatter Matters is a not-for profit organisation that assists those in prison, those recently released and those at-risk of imprisonment. • The program uses evidence-based practices to improve literacy, support positive interpersonal interaction and communication skills • Prison Parenting program: teaches participants skills for developing secure attachment with their children. • Facilities at Risdon prison: • employment (e. g. bakery, laundry, kitchen, woodwork shop, tailorshop, farming, gardening, community work, cleaning); • education (a range of educational opportunities are provided, including courses delivered by the Tasmania Prison Service (TPS), TAFE Tasmania and the University of Tasmania); • programs (including targeted offence-related programs as well as other programs to assist prisoners); • sport and recreation (including a range of individual and team-based activities and competitions); • hobbies; • library (materials and services provided by the State Library of Tasmania).

Just Time – Rosie Martin’s program • Just Time is an eight-week program of attachment, relationship and wellbeing. Three main stakeholder groups participate in Just Time – the prisoners, who are the recipients of the program, the prison personnel who support and enable it, and the facilitators. • Just Time is unabashedly about love: fortifying, undergirding, strengthening-of-all-things love. And specifically, how the bonds of love and positive emotion form the basis of secure attachment between parent and child. How they gift that child’s life with mental wellbeing, relationship which grows language and supports positive social communication.

Mothers (in prison) who did program • “I’ll cuddle him, like, when I want to – but I didn’t realise that he wants it too. ” • “My dad never did that with me. He never cuddled me – just said ‘get out of here, stupid kid’. ” • “I only really interacted with my babies when I wanted to; I didn’t pick up from them that they were also giving me signals. ” • “I never blamed my kids for anything – I blamed myself. If they fell over, it was because I wasn’t watching them enough. ” • “I’ve just learned how, like, it’s never too late and that. And ya gotta listen for your ‘shark music’ otherwise ya just end up doin to ya kid the same crap what was done to you. ” • “This is the first certificate I’ve ever got. ”

Chatter Matters is now called Connect 42 • https: //connect 42. org/our-projects/

A different take on prison… • Norway https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Fb-g. OS 3 p 44 U

How to improve current problems • Ensure low-risk offenders do not interact with high-risk offenders. • Divert low-risk offenders from prison. • Develop community-based rehabilitation • Innovative programs for ATSI people • Adequately trained, specialist staff.

Drug Treatment Orders • A drug treatment order (also known as Court Mandated Diversion) is a sentencing option available in the Magistrates Court and the Supreme Court in Tasmania. • It is a form of therapeutic jurisprudence - which means? • It is a sentence given to people who demonstrate an illicit drug use problem whose drug use is linked with their offending. • It will only be given to those offenders who would otherwise face a penalty of imprisonment.

What does a DTO involve? • An individual on a DTO will not be incapacitated in an institution, rather they will remain in the community but with strict obligations they must follow as part of a drug treatment program. • Individuals are assigned a ‘drug diversion officer’ who they must report to each week. They must also undergo regular, random urinalysis and Court reviews with a Magistrate. • DTOs have a custodial component which is effectively “on hold”.

Court reviews • Participants appear in Court to have their order reviewed on either a fortnightly or monthly basis depending on which phase of the order they are in • The review process is collaborative – the Magistrate, participant, defence lawyer, prosecution and Court Diversion Officer. • Each individual case is discussed in a closed court setting immediately prior to the actual court appearance to ensure that all parties are able to contribute to the process.

Sanctions and rewards • Handout

Three phase program – Two years 1) Stabilisation 2) Consolidation 3) Reintegration The primary goal of a DTO is to break the drug-crime cycle by involving offenders in treatment and rehabilitation programs.

Who is eligible? • 18 years of age or over • Have plead guilty/have been found guilty • Be facing imprisonment • History of drug use linked to offending • Must be willing (CONSENT) Who is not?

Some numbers • First pilot program 2007 -08 • 120 places statewide (45 in South) • 5 Court Diversion Officers (4 positioned) • 1 in-house councillor • CDOs estimate a 20% graduation rate – BUT – very hard to measure.

Does it meet the aims of sentencing? Punishment (retribution) Rehabilitation Deterrence (individual and general) Incapacitation Denunciation

Suspended sentences • What ? • Key aims • Arguments for and against • Phasing out in Tasmania • Alternatives • Problems

What? A suspended sentence is a prison sentence which is partly or wholly suspended on certain conditions.

Bartels conducted a qualitative analysis of sentencing decisions in the Supreme Court. She identified 15 factors that were cited in at least 20 of the 351 cases where partly or fully suspended sentences were imposed. These were (in descending order of frequency): • • first offender; • employment; • drug/alcohol rehabilitation; • youth; • good character; • mental health/intellectual disability/family responsibility; • guilty plea; • remorse; • adverse personal circumstances; • supportive relationship; • co-operating/informing; • degree of participation/parity; and

Conditions A suspended sentence is subject to a mandatory condition that the offender does not commit another offence punishable by imprisonment during the operational period. In addition, the Sentencing Act 1997 (Tas), s 24(2) provides that the court may impose any one or more of the following conditions: • that the offender perform community service; • that the offender is subject to the supervision of a probation officer; • that the offender is required to undertake a rehabilitation program; • any other conditions that the court considers necessary or expedient. The court can also combine a suspended sentence with other orders including community service and probation.

Bartels (2009) It was found that those offenders serving suspended sentences had the lowest reconviction rates compared to those who received noncustodial and unsuspended sentences and this held true irrespective of prior criminal history. Young offenders had particularly low reconviction rates post a suspended sentence

Arguments for The principal arguments in favour of suspended sentences are that they are an effective form of denunciation and deterrence; they are a valuable tool for those handing down sentences; they enable offenders to avoid prison, especially for short sentences; and they reduce the size of the prison population

Arguments against However, there also compelling arguments against suspended sentences, namely, that they do not amount to real punishment at law and are regarded as a 'let-off' by the public and offenders; there are difficulties with the process for imposing the sentence and dealing with breaches; they cause net-widening and violate the proportionality principle; and they favour middle-class offenders.

Contested topic The philosophical differences between those who accept that a suspended sentence is more severe than other non-custodial orders and who believe it to be an appropriate substitute for immediate prison time, and those who question the internal logic, position and continued need for such an order are fundamental and unlikely ever to be satisfactorily resolved (2006: vii).

Community Service Orders (CSO) An offender/worker performs unpaid work in the community under the direction of a Supervisor or Probation Officer. This information is sourced from Liz Moore’s Powerpoint (2019)

Examples of CSO project sites Project sites include Bonorong Wildlife Park, The Salvation Army Bridge Program, not for profit organisations such as churches, local councils and neighbourhood centres as well as gardening for individual pensioners.

Workers are also able to complete their hours by attending approved rehabilitation or educational courses or programs.

Email from Liz Moore Hi Ella, good questions(s)! Assuming I’m up to date about this, community service options can include just about any education that is considered ‘appropriate’ - that would include any vocational training or education through Tas. TAFE, UTas or other educational institutions, particularly if it’s work related. It can also include offender-specific training such as the EQUIPS programs we run (Aggression, Addiction, Sober Driving, Family Violence) and other courses that people might be referred to through the LINC Literacy / Numeracy programs. We have a Justice Literacy Coordinator who connects people to all sorts of programs including art and theatre that a component of could be counted for community service. If you like, I can follow up with the Team Leader and see if there’s any more up to date information that I’m not aware of - just let me know. Cheers, Liz.

Programs • Sober Driver Program – education and skills-based program • 2 or more drink driving offences in last 5 years • 9 week period, 1 x 2 hr session per week (or 3 full days over 3 weeks) • Family Violence Offender Intervention Program – cognitive behavioural program for high risk offenders • 12 hour individual or 50 hour group program • EQUIPS – (Explore, Question, Understand, Investigate & Practice) - skills based program • Foundations, Domestic Abuse Program (DAP), Addiction, Aggression - 5 modules in each program • Twice weekly sessions for 10 weeks.

Hours The maximum number of CS hours that can be imposed is 240 hours. 22, 000 hours were imposed in the South in 2018 with almost that number of hours completed. 89 orders were breached for noncompletion from July 2019 to July 2019 last year.

Statistics Order Type (1/07/19) Order Count Community Correction Order with supervision - plus suspended sentence 421 Community Correction Order – community service - plus suspended sentence 306 Probation Order 559 Community Service Order 648 Total supervision 1036 Total community service 1044 Parole Order 118 Drug Treatment Order 85 CMD Bail Order 12 Home Detention Order 31 TOTAL: 2326 56 90 Sub total: 477 Sub total: 396

Community service is more compliance focused than case management focused.

Does it meet the aims of sentencing? This penalty focuses on reparation, rehabilitation and community engagement. Does it meet any of the other aims?

Recent changes to sentencing in Tas The Sentencing Act 1997 has been amended to include two new sentencing options: • Community Corrections Orders • Home Detention (Came into operation in Dec 2018) This forms part of the Tas Liberal Govt 2014 election promise to phase out suspended sentences…

Email from Liz Moore: “…they’re effective in that 22, 000 hours of unpaid community work was done in the south last year by community service workers. The CCO is just a different mechanism for providing the same thing - it will just be a condition of a CCO instead of a stand-alone order, so no change in practice. ”

Community Corrections Orders Community Correction Orders (combining supervision and community service)

Home Detention / Electronic Monitoring • Orders commenced December 2018 (Part 5 A Sentencing Act 1997). First order imposed March 2019. • 23 new staff in the Monitoring & Compliance Unit – 24 hour shift roster (13 monitoring staff, 10 support / management staff). • 36 Home Detention Orders to date, ranging from 3 months to 18 months (max) in length. Average to date has been 4 -6 months. • 30 family violence offenders and 10 victims monitored on behalf of Tasmania Police to date. • 3 returned to court in breach to date - all imprisoned.

Controversy over suspended sentencing phase out… • Legislation to phase out suspended sentencing was not supported by opposition (Labor) in Tas upper house. • Sentencing Advisory Council report indicated that phasing out would be problematic and that suspended sentences were a useful sentencing option (particularly effective for deterrence) • Elise Archer had to compromise: the decision to phase out suspended sentences would be delayed for up to two years pending a review of two sentencing options. Home detention including electronic tagging and community corrections orders involving volunteer work would be introduced. MPs would have the final say on whether to keep the new sentencing options and whether to scrap suspended sentences.

Mandatory sentencing • A threat • Archer’s Bill • Sentencing Council report • Australian Law Council • Tasmanian Law Refrom Institute • Indigenous people

Political climate • 16 September 2019 Elise Archer, Minister for Corrections Work begins on Southern Remand Centre As Minister for Corrections I was delighted to turn the first sod on the $70 million Southern Remand Centre project at the Risdon Prison site. The Southern Remand Centre is a key project of the Hodgman majority Liberal Government’s $350 million infrastructure program to improve Tasmania’s prison system. Once complete, the Southern Remand Centre will significantly increase the capacity of the prison system, providing better conditions for remandees and allowing separation from the general prison population.

The Hodgman majority Liberal Government’s prison infrastructure plan also includes a new 270 -bed Northern Prison, with the preferred site to be announced very soon. While we make no apology for being tough on serious crime, we want offenders to rehabilitate and get their lives back on track, becoming productive, law-abiding members of society who no longer pose a threat to the community.

Alternatives • Restorative justice • Circle sentencing – Koori Court