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VICTORIA
REPORT
of the
ADULT PAROLE BOARD
for the
Years ended: 30th June, 1988 30th June, 1989
------------------------------------------------------
No. 96
VICTORIA
Report
of the
ADULT PAROLE BOARD
for the
Year ended 30 June 1988
Ordered by the Legislative Assembly to be printed
MELBOURNE JEAN GORDON GOVERNMENT PRINTER
1988-89
Chairperson
Deputy Chairperson :
Members
ADULT PAROLE BOARD
MEMBERS
The Honourable Mr. Justice AB. Nicholson, a Judge of the Supreme Court ofVictoria, until8 March 1988.
The Honourable Mr. Justice F. Vincent, a Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria, since 9 March 1988.
The Honourable Mr. Justice F. Vincent, a Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria, until 8 March 1988.
The Honourable Mr. Justice P.D. Cummins, a Judge ofthe Supreme Court of Victoria, since 9 March 1988.
His Honour T.B. Shillito, a Judge of the County Court of Victoria (a member since 12 May 1987)
Mrs. Pamela Carty-Salmon
Mr. Brendan J.J. Eames
Mr. Richard W. Lucas- Full Time Member
Mr. William J. Kidston Director-General of Corrections, until Mid April1988.
Mr. Peter Harmsworth Director-General of Corrections, since 17 May 1988.
Mr. Denbigh J.Y. Richards Deputy to the Director-General of Corrections, since 28 July 1985.
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CORRECTIONS ACT 1986 - SECTION 72(1)
ANNUAL REPORT OF ADULT PAROLE BOARD
FOR YEAR 1987/88
The Minister for Corrections,
In accordance with the requirements of the Corrections Act 1986, the Adult Parole Board appointed to deal with matters affecting male and female prisoners and general matters has the honour to present its Annual Report for the year ended 30th June 1988.
L Legislative Mandate
The Corrections Act 1986 (Section 61 to 84) provides the legislative mandate for the Adult Parole Board of Victoria. The Adult Parole Board is a statutory body under the chairmanship of a Judge of the Supreme Court, and whose membership includes a Judge of the Supreme Court (Deputy Chairperson), a Judge of the County Court, a Full-Time Member, the Director-General of the Office of Corrections and such other persons as are appointed by the Governor in Council as part-time members.
The Board has sole jurisdiction over the release from prison on parole and prerelease of offenders who are serving sentences of imprisonment for state offences and who meet the criteria for such a release as laid down in the legislation.
The Board sets and may vary the conditions of such releases and has the power to cancel parole orders and pre-release permits of any offenders who breach any of these conditions.
The Board also makes investigations and recommendations to the Minister for Corrections in respect to special category prisoners including those persons detained in custody until the Governor's Pleasure is known or pursuant to a law of the Commonwealth.
Each case is considered on its merits and the Board is able to draw upon reports from Prisons and Community Based Corrections Divisions, Medical and Forensic Psychiatric Services as well as any comments the sentencing court may have recorded. Thus in making its decisions the Board has in mind the interests and well-being of the community, the intentions of the sentencing authority as well as the needs and rights of the offender.
- 3 -
2. Membership
There were major changes in the membership of the Board during the year. The Chairman, His Honour Mr. Justice Nicholson retired in December 1987. The Parole Board wishes to place on record its appreciation of the contribution made by His Honour to the operations of the Board.
His Honour Mr. Justice Vincent, Deputy Member, was appointed by the Chief Justice of Victoria, to the Chairmanship of the Board on 9 March 1988. His Honour Mr. Justice Cnmmins was appointed by the Chief Justice to the position of Deputy Member on 9 March 1988.
Mr. William Kidston, Director-General ofthe Office of Corrections, was appointed as Director-General of the Department of Housing and Construction in April 1988. Mr Peter Harmsworth was appointed as Director-General of the Office of Corrections on 17 May 1988.
3. Meetings
During the year the Board met on 52 occasions. Included in this number were meetings at Beechworth, Bendigo, Dhurringile, Fairlea, Geelong, Metropolitan Reception, Ararat, Castlemaine, Sale, Morwell River, Won Wron and Pentridge Prisons. The Board also met at Aradale and ~J" Ward hospitals.
At these meetings, the Board considered some 4347 matters.
4. Visitors
D · the year the Board had a number of visitors attend its meetings, incl g Regional Managers and other Community Based Corrections staff, Governors and other Prisons Division staff, Ms. Virginia Frankle (Associate to His Honour Mr. Justice Nathan), Mr. J. Dugan S.M. (Chief Magistrate), Ms. Sally Brown S.M. (Deputy Chief Magistrate), Mr. Peter Harmsworth, Mr. John Coldrey, Q.C. (Director of Department of Public Prosecutions), Ms. Sue Wynne-Hughes, Ms. Jane Gibson (Associate to His Honour Mr. Justice Vincent), Mr. Justin Bourke (Associate to His Honour Mr. Justice Nathan)
5. Reports and Recommendations
5.1 Pursuant to the provisions of the Corrections Act 1986, the Board is required to furnish reports and recommendations to the Minister upon every person being kept in safe custody after having been found unfit to plead, not guilty on the grounds of insanity, or convicted of murder committed whilst under the age of 18 years, prior to the commencement of the Crimes (Capital Offences) Act 1975.
Reports and recommendations were furnished on persons detained in safe custody who were found unfit to plead.
- 4 -
Reports were also furnished on persons detained in safe custody who have been found not guilty on the grounds of insanity. In instances the Board recommended that consideration be given to release under supervision.
No reports were submitted on persons detained in safe custody after having been convicted of murder committed whilst under the age of 18 years.
5.2 Reports were furnished upon request by the Minister where the Board recommended that consideration be given to release by Exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy.
5.3 The Board is required to report to the Minister within one month whenever it is necessary, pursuant to the provisions of Section 499 of the Crimes Act 1958, to order the return of a person to custody.
5.4 The Crimes (Amendment) Act 1986 inserted new sections 18A and 19A into the Penalties and Sentences Act 1985 authorising the Supreme Court to fix a minimum term of imprisonment for any person who on 1st July 1986 was serving a term of imprisonment for the term of his or her natural life.
It was determined by the Chief Justice that, to assist the Court in fixing minimum terms, the Adult Parole Board should cause a pre-sentence report to be prepared. The Board determined that there would be information supplied by Prisons and Community Based Corrections Divisions of the Office of Corrections and Forensic Psychiatric Services as the major components of this report.
Those who had their applications heard during the year, received minimum terms which allowed for their release during the 12 month period.
6. Communication
6.1 Contact with Media - During the year the Chairperson increased contact with the media as a means of furthering the public's understanding of the operations and objectives of the Board as well as addressing certain issues which had become topical. The Board views such contact as an important means of community education and fostering community support for Board initiatives and programs.
6.2 The Board is committed to the computerization program being undertaken by the Office of Corrections by determining that a number of the systems and procedures which support the operation of the Board should be translated into computer programs. This should result in decisions being recorded on computer, notification being given to officers of the Department and persons subject to the decisions of the Board and requests for reports being generated via the computer. The primary concern that the Board has is that accurate and up-to-date information is available to the Board to ensure that the decisions it makes are sound
- 5 -
and timely. If the information recorded by all involved in the programs is accurate and the programs developed are sound, the Board is confident that computerization will enhance its operation.
7. Legislative. Policy and Other Developments
7.1 Legislation
The following legislative developments impacted on the operations of the Adult Parole Board during 1987-88.
Corrections Act 1986
The Act replaces and updates the adult corrections proVlsions of the Community Welfare Services Act 1970. It sets out the legislative basis for the future operations of the Office of Corrections.
Certain sections, divisions and schedules of the Corrections Act 1986 were proclaimed in May 1987 which had the purpose of consolidating into one act various provisions relating to adult corrections and the Parole Board found in a number of other Acts.
The new legislation among other things enables the Board to exercise its powers and functions in divisions, brought every cancellation of parole within the discretion of the Board (i.e. automatic or "ipso facto" cancellations no longer apply) and enables the Board having cancelled a Parole Order or Pre-Release Permit, to direct that the period during which the order or permit was in force be regarded as time served in respect of the prison sentence.
Thus the flexibility in the Board's operation and response to certain matters, such as breaches, has increased. This flexibility should enable the Board to consider and respond to each case on its own merits. The ability of the Board to meet as a division should have the outcome of increasing the access of prisoners to the Board.
Corrections Regulations 1988
The Regulations replace and update the adult corrections provisions of the Community Welfare Services Regulations 1962. The Regulations are made under the powers contained in Sections 14(f), 42(1), 85(c) and 112 of the Corrections Act. They follow closely the format of the Act, detailing the statutory powers, functions, rights and responsibilities for which the Act provides a "head" power.
- 6 -
Other Legislative Developments
Corrections (Remission) Act 1988
This Act was assented to on 8 March 1988, and deemed to have come into operation on 1 March 1988. It amended an error made concerning remissions in the Corrections Regulations 1988.
Corrections (Amendment) Regulations 1988
These Regulations came into operation on 8 March 1988. They amended the error made concerning remissions in the Corrections Regulations 1988, and corrected some other minor drafting errors in the Corrections Regulations 1988.
Police Gaols Regulations 1988
These Regulations came into operation on 1 March 1988. They were made under the powers contained in Section 112 of the Corrections Act 1986, and provide for the management, administration and security of police gaols and for the safe custody and welfare of persons held in them.
Proclamation of a Place as a Prison
Under Section 10 of the Corrections Act 1986, by notice in the Victoria Government Gazette of 13 January 1988 and 17 February 1988, parts of selected police stations were proclaimed as prison reception centres for the purpose of processing offenders more quickly and easing crowding in police cells.
Crimes (Fingerprinting) Act 1988-Part 3
This Act was assented to on 24 May 1988, but its provisions had not come into operation as at 30 June 1988. Part 3 of this Act amends the Corrections Act 1986 to provide that as soon as possible after a person is received into a prison to serve the whole or a part of a prison sentence an officer must take the person's fingerprints, and the Governor of a prison must provide as soon as practicable to the Chief Commissioner of Police a copy of the fingerprints.
7.2 Policy Meeting
On 29 October 1987 the Board held a policy meeting at which a wide variety of issues were considered.
The Board agreed that a case management or total sentence management approach was an appropriate one for the Board to adopt when considering cases, particularly those involving breaches of parole, pre-release, re-parole or subsequent releases on parole and pre-release.
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In adopting such an approach the Board would make decisions on a caseby-case basis, maintaining flexibility within a set of broad guidelines.
It was agreed that there was, in particular, a percentage of cases where the Board would have to rely less on guidelines if more relevant information and specific recommendations were available from both Community Based Corrections and Prisons Division. It was also noted that there needs to be an increase in appearances by supervising Community Corrections Officers at Board Meetings to assist the Board, particularly when considering complex or contentious cases and those were cancellations are recommended.
7.3 New Location
The Board's venue for its operations will be moved from its present site in the Office of Corrections Headquarters in South Melbourne to the new Melbourne Remand Centre in late 1988.
7.4 Psychiatric Services
Dr. John M. G. Grigor, Director of Forensic Psychiatric Services submitted the following report to the Board:
In 1987/88 only 64 Parole Board reports were completed and 14 of these were by other psychiatrists. Some of these, such as Dr. Nicholas Lis and Dr. Alien Bartholomew were employed part-time by Forensic Services and others were sent to private psychiatrists due to our continuing staffing difficulties. This marked drop in Parole Board reports contrast with previous years which are outlined as follows:
1982/83 1984/85 1985/86 1986/87
144 93
121 115
Our staffing levels of qualified psychiatrists did not improve during the year. As I have reported previously, private psychiatrists who could enrich the Forensic Psychiatric Services are deterred by difficulties in access to prisoners, the long distances that may sometimes have to be travelled to see prisoners in country prisons and the sometimes ambivalent attitudes of Corrections staff. These matters have been raised regularly with the Forensic Section of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists but by and large private psychiatrists remain unconvinced that there are potential sessional career opportunities within the State services.
At a different level the Health Department of Victoria has invested heavily in the remodelling of wards at Mont Park Hospital and the facilities within G-Division and a further four million dollars is earmarked for the re-development of facilities at Aradale for security patients. Monash University is advertising the first Professor of Forensic Psychiatry in Australia and New Zealand and Melbourne University is also shortly to
. 8-
advertise a First Assistant (shortly to be renamed 'Associate Professor'),also in Forensic Psychiatry Recruiting is proceeding apace overseas with little tangible results at the present time. The Health Department is exploring other options to try and make Forensic Psychiatry a more attractive career posting within the State Mental Health Services.
7.5 Communitv Based Corrections
The year 1987/88 witnessed further consolidation of services, as well as continued growth, commitment to community involvement in corrections and a greater emphasis on programs that effectively meet the needs of offenders and the community.
All 22 Community Corrections Centres are fully operational. Continuing difficulty is being encountered in locating a suitable building for a further centre located at Heidelberg.
There has been considerable adaption and operational development in response to changes in legislation and in the supervision requirements of offenders. As a consequence of the demand to instantly review and evaluate Departmental Programmes the year saw the replacement of the Pre-Discharge Temporary leave Programme by the Release Transition Programme, and the introduction of the Fine Default Programme, to enable offenders to undertake unpaid community work in lieu of imprisonment for unpaid fines.
Other developments affecting the nature of work performed by Community Corrections Officers including further development of the use ofvolunteers and the regionalization of prosecutions functions in relations to community based orders.
The year has also been a significant further development of computer programmes which will enhance the provision of high quality service to the Board.
7.6 Full-Time Member's Report
All Prisons and a number of Community Corrections Centres were visited. A form of operation was maintained. The number of prisoners interviewed was up on the preceding year - as to be expected.
Individuals denied and deferred parole still make up the greater proportion of those seeking interviews. The opportunity enables them to inquire in detail and to discuss their cases and related matters. These interviews are useful as they enable the individual to be given a better appreciation of the manner in which the Board arrives at its decisions. Emphasis can be placed on the fact that individual cases are determined on their own particular merits these days.
- 9 -
In to the next year it is proposed to increase access for prisoners further. The Board plans to visit prisons more frequently during the next 12 months with the Pentridge Complex to be visited monthly.
8 General
8.1 Parole and Pre-Release
The Board is satisfied that these two programs continue to operate effectively in the community. While the two programs are substantially different in the conditions attached to them, the intensity of supervision and the degree of community involvement, both programs represent an invaluable period of support and supervision for persons making the often difficult transition from custody within an institution to life within the community and all its demands and expectations.
The Board again wishes to draw attention to the work undertaken by Community Corrections Officers and those other staff in Community Based Corrections involved in administering and delivering these programs. The members of the Board are well aware that such work is demanding and often unrewarding yet is so important to both the community and the ex-offender. These officers have reason to be proud of their involvement and efforts.
Finally the Board would urge as much community involvement as possible in the programs. Such involvement, if developed in a constructive and responsible manner, should only serve to enhance the two programs by, among other things, increasing the sense of legitimacy and acceptance by the community of the programs. It also serves to strengthen positive relationships between the ex-offender and the community.
9. Appreciations
The Board wishes to express its appreciation to the many people who have assisted it in its operations, particularly the staff of Forensic Psychiatric Services and officers of Prisons and Community Based Corrections Divisions of the Office of Corrections.
The Board would once again record its appreciation to the staff of the Board's Secretariat for their dedication and enthusiasm in providing support to the Board, often under difficult and demanding conditions.
Dated at Melbourne this day of 1989
CHAIRPERSON: Frank Vincent
Male
Female
Total
Male
Female
Total
I e
- 10 -
APPENDICES
TABLE l
PAROLE
Releases, Denials and Cancellations for Year Ending 30/6/88
Releases Denials
812 93
54 5
866 98
TABLE 2
PRE-RELEASE
Releases, Denials and Cancellations for Year Ending 30/6/88
Releases Denials
295 211
16 5
311 216
Cancellations
192
12
204
Cancellations
49
2
51
Number
• 11 •
TABLE 3
EXTRADITIONS
Requests made during the year; Cumulative total until 30/6/88; number returned
on extradition during the year; number outstanding as at 30/6/88
Requests
Year Total
5 22
Returned During Year
13
Still Outstanding
7
VICTORIA
Report
of the
ADULT PAROLE BOARD
for the
Year ended 30 June 1989
Ordered by the Legislative Assembly to be printed
MELBOURNE JEAN GORDON GOVERNMENT PRINTER
1988-89
Chairperson
Deputy Chairperson :
Members
ADULT PAROLE BOARD
MEMBERS
The Honourable Mr. Justice F. Vincent, a Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria, since 9 March 1988
The Honourable Mr. Justice P.D. Cummins, a Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria, since 9 March 1988.
His Honour T.B. Shillito, a Judge of the County Court of Victoria (a member since 12 May 1987)
Mrs. Pamela Carty-Salmon
Mr. Brendan J.J. Eames
Mr. Richard W. Lucas- Full Time Member
Mr. Peter Harmsworth Director-General of Corrections, since 17 May 1988.
Mr. Denbigh J.Y. Richards Deputy to the Director-General of Corrections, since 28 July 1985.
- 2 -
CORRECTIONS ACT 1986 · SECTION 72(1)
ANNUAL REPORT OF ADULT PAROLE BOARD
FOR YEAR 1988/89
The Minister for Corrections,
In accordance with the requirements of the Corrections Act 1986, the Adult Parole Board appointed to deal with matters affecting male and female prisoners and general matters has the honour to present its Annual Report for the year ended 30th June 1989.
1. Membership
There was no change in the membership of the Board during the year.
2. Meetings
During the year the Board met on 60 occasions. Included in this number were meetings at Beechworth, Bendigo, Dhurringile, Fairlea, Geelong, Metropolitan Reception, Ararat, Castlemaine, Sale, Morwell River, Won Wron and Pentridge Prisons. The Board also met at Aradale and "J" Ward hospitals.
At these meetings, the Board considered some 4,579 matters.
3. Visitors
During the year the Board had a number of visitors attend its meetings including Regional Managers and other Community Based Corrections staff, Governors and other Prisons Division staff, Mr. Ian Proctor (Mental Health Legal Centre), Dr. Shields (Bundoora Mental Hospital), Mr. E. Jeans and Mr. A Jackson (Official Prison Visitor) Mr. Roy Punchen (Criminal Bar Association).
Both the Board and visitors have found such attendances of great value particularly when the visitors being both case-specific knowledge and professional experience to the meeting.
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4. Legislative, Policy and Other Developments
4.1 Legislation
The following legislative developments impacted on the operations of the Adult Parole Board during 1988/89.
Corrections (Amendment) Bill 1989
The Minister for Corrections introduced the Corrections (Amendment) Bill 1989 into State Parliament on 21 March 1989. The Bill represents the first stage in the Government's legislative response to the recommendations of the Victorian Sentencing Committee, which delivered its report in May 1988. The Government subsequently outlined its overall strategy for reforming the criminal justice system in the "Building A LawAbiding Society - Together" policy statement released in August 1988.
The main proposals contained in the Bill were:
tightening of the prisoner remissions system;
phasing out and abolition of the pre-release program for prisoners;
establishment of a home detention program for certain prisoners nearing the end of their sentences;
additional prisoner discipline and management powers;
imprisonment for fine default only to be an option of last resort;
introduction of special leave provisions for prisoners;
improving the clarity of sentencing terminology; and
stricter guidelines for the prisoner Leave of Absence Program, to be known as the Custodial Community Permit Program.
The Bill passed the Legislative Assembly on 24 May 1989. It was then introduced into the Legislative Council, but debate was adjourned on 26 May 1989.
On 30 May 1989 the Minister for Corrections announced that the Custodial Community Permit Program would be established under existing legislation early in the 1989-90 financial year, and that remissions would be progressively decreased by amending the Corrections Regulations 1988.
• 4 •
Other Legislative Developments
Corrections (Firearms Amendment) Regulations 1988 (No. 292)
These Regulations came into operation on 19 July 1988. They provided for a revised version of Regulation 27 in the Corrections Regulations 1988, concerning the discharge of firearms by prison officers.
Crimes (Amendment) Act 1987 (No. 70)
Section 8 of this Act, which came into operation on 1 September 1988, inserted a new Section 56A in the Corrections Act 1986, concerning arrangements for the travel of prisoners to foreign countries to give evidence at a proceeding or assistance in relation to an investigation concerning a criminal matter.
Crimes Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 1989 (No. 25)
This Act was assented to on 6 June 1989. It included several amendments to the Penalties and Sentences Act 1985:
Section 30 amended Section 4 (1) of the Penalties and Sentences Act, concerning the time at which the plea of guilty is made is to be taken into account (came into operation on 1 July 1989);
Section 31 amended Section 18 A of the Penalties and Sentences Act, concerning the procedure for fixing prison terms with respect to committed death sentences (came into operation on 25 June 1989);
Section 32 amended Section 30 of the Penalties and Sentences Act, to provide that Community Based Orders are to be concurrent unless otherwise directed (came into operation on 25 June 1989);
Section 33 amended various sections of the Penalties and Sentences Act, to provide the power to make one Community Based Order in respect of two or more offences (came into operation on 25 June 1989); and
Section 34 amended Section 62 (11) and 63 (11) of the Penalties and Sentences Act, in relation to appeals (came into operation on 25 June 1989).
Police Regulation (Amendment) Act 1989 (No. 15)
This Act was assented to on 16 May 1989, and Sections 1-32 inclusive were deemed to have come into operation on that day. Section 29 inserts a new Section 47(3) in the Corrections Act 1986 which enables a prisoner's correspondence with the Ombudsman to be opened in certain
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circumstances. Section 30 amends Section 112 (1) of the Corrections Act 1986 to enable regulations pertaining to various matters to be made for police gaols.
Appointment of a Place as a Prison
Under Section 10 of the Corrections Act 1986, by notice in the Victorian Government Gazette of 5 April1989, H.M. Melbourne Remand Centre was appointed by the Governor in Council as a prison by Order dated 4 April 1989.
4.2 New Location
The Board's venue for its operations will be moved from its present location in Albert Road, South Melbourne to the new Melbourne Remand Centre in September 1989.
4.3 Psychiatric Service
Mr. Stephen Kerr, Manager of Corrections Health Services submitted the following report to the Board:
In 1988/89 a total of 108 reports were completed by Corrections Health Services (CHS), and the breakdown of these are as follows:
47 By psychiatrists employed by CHS full-time.
6 By psychologists employed by CHS full-time.
46 By psychiatrists employed by CHS on sessional/fee basis.
6 By psychologists employed by CHS on sessional/fee basis.
2 By psychologists employed by Office of Corrections.
1 By psychiatrist Superintendent of Bundoora Repatriation HospitaL
The forty-six reports completed by sessional/fee psychiatrists have been by Dr. D. Barlow, Dr. B. Hutchinson, Dr. A Bartholomew and Dr. N. Lis. These have been mainly at Pentridge Prison but occasionally visiting the Northern Country Prison as part of that service.
Dr. N. Lis provides the reports for the Gippsland REgion and services the Prisons of Sale, Morwell and Won Wron. We are grateful for their continued contribution and appreciate the quality of service they provide for us, under, at times, somewhat trying circumstances.
Mr. Alan Semple has recently been appointed to co-ordinate and allocate all Adult Parole Board and Court Reports as part of his duties. His broad knowledge of the functioning of Corrections and Health systems will facilitate this area. All enquiries in this area should be addressed to him on 353 0291.
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In addition the Forensic Psychiatry section of the Corrections Health Service operates a community clinic at Parliament Place to assess and treat as required those Parolees and Offenders under Community Based Orders who require such services.
Currently 16% of these groups have as a special condition of their order that they receive assessment and treatment.
A major development at the Parliament Place Clinic has been the implementation of a Pilot Psychosexual Treatment Program. Initial indications are that there is a very considerable demand for this program and good compliance with the rigorous treatment conditions. Proper evaluation of this program should be completed in 1990.
4.4 Community Based Corrections
The increased activities of all Community Corrections Centres over 1988/89 reflect deeper commitment to community involvement in corrections and greater emphasis on programs that can effectively meet the needs of offenders and the community. There has been considerable adaption and operational development in response to changes in legislation and in the supervision requirements of offenders. The adaption and development undertaken have significantly affected the nature of the work performed by Community Corrections Officers.
As stated in last year's report, all Community Corrections Centres are now fully operational. Resolution to locating suitable accommodation at Heidelberg is imminent with occupation expected earlier in 1990.
Developments affecting the nature of work performed by Community Corrections Officers include recommendations outlined in the B.L.AS. T. Programme; the proposal to implement an Intensive Parole Programme; further development of an Intensive Supervision Programme similar to the Pilot Programme conducted in the Division's Southern Region; the employment of a Vietnamese Community Corrections Officer to work directly with Vietnamese offenders as well as assisting in improving other staff's capacity to work effectively with Vietnamese.
The year has also witnessed greater community involvement in Corrections with such programmes as the Good Neighbourhood Program.
All the aforegoing programmes and the continued development of the Parole Board's computer data, serve to enhance the provision of high quality service to the Parole Board.
4.5 Full-Time Member's Report
As has been the practice in the past years, prisons and Community Corrections Centres were visited and numerous interviews conducted with prisoners. A variety of matters of concern to individuals and the schemes in general were covered. The number one issue raised by a great majority of those interviewed was how changes proposed would affect them as
- 7 -
individuals. Whilst in general, information has been available concerning the changes proposed - media articles, press releases etc., it was emphasised that until the amending legislation is eventually proclaimed, no one can be certain as to how it will have a bearing on an individual's case and what effect it will have on his eligibility for pre-release, parole etc. and when.
In previous years each prison was attended on a number of occasions during the year. During 1988/89 the visiting schedule was much reduced.
As in the past, those denied and deferred release showed most interest although not always being with the advice and explanation provided as regards their own particular matter.
A matter of some concern again being raised by an increasing number of prisoners related very little or no communication of decision advice. At various times in the recent past this has been a problem and whilst improvement in the procedures have been implemented, deficiencies still exist and are possibly amplified, as there is no longer a specific "contact" officer in each prison. The advent of the computer process has made it possible for a form of "impersonalised contact" with the Secretariat. notifications of parole eligibility and other forms of advice to the Secretariat being computer generated.
Whilst decision advice at the present time is manually controlled, it is expected that early in the next period the next stage in the computer process will be implemented -computer generated advice and decisions etc. etc.
The residual effect of the changes implemented to date is that there is less expertise in parole matters now at the interface - prison officer/prisoner - than there was in the past.
To fill the gap more regular appearance by both Full Time member or the Board or a Division of the Board is necessary.
It is apparent however that from experience in the last 12 months within the Secretariat, if the Board is to increase the frequency of attending at Prisons as indicated last year and the Full Time Member is to maintain even a reduced visiting schedule, resolution of the unfilled Admin-4 position needs urgent attention.
5. General
5.1 Phasing out and abolition of the Pre-Release Program
Currently, the Adult Parole Board can release prisoners with sentences of greater than three years imprisonment up to six months before the end of their sentence, onto a Pre-Release Program. It is proposed to progressively reduce the maximum period for Pre-Release until it is completely abolished in about two years time. The Adult Parole Board will continue to be responsible for administering this program.
. 8 .
5.2 Intensive Parole
With the phasing out of the Pre-Release Program, intensive parole conditions are to be introduced for the first three months of all new parole orders to ensure that prisoners receive the management and supervision required to support them through their highest risk and most vulnerable period, immediately after release.
The development of a "more intensive parole system" was announced by the Government as part of its criminal justice policy statement "Building a Law Abiding Society • Together". The Government's intention was that all parolees should, in the first three months of their parole order, be subject to intensive supervision and monitoring by their parole officers.
6. Appreciation
The Board wishes to express. its appreciation to the many people who have assisted it in its operations, particularly the staff of Forensic Psychiatry Services and officers of Prisons and Community Based Corrections Divisions of the Office of Corrections.
The Board would once again record its appreciation to the staff of the Board's Secretariat for their dedication and enthusiasm in providing support to the Board, often under difficult and demand conditions.
Dated at Melbourne this day of 1989
CHAIRPERSON: Frank Vincent
Male
Female
Total
Male
Female
Total
- 9 -
APPENDICES
TABLE 1
PAROLE
Releases, Denials and Cancellations for Year Ending 30/6/89
Releases Denials
893 127
54 11
947 138
TABLE 2
PRE-RELEASE
Releases, Denials and Cancellations for Year Ending 30/6/89
Releases Denials
239 331
12 14
251 345
Cancellations
236
13
249
Cancellations
34
7
41
- 10 -
TABLE 3
EXTRADITIONS
Requests made during the year; Cumulative total until 30/6/89; number returned
on extradition during the year; number outstanding as at 30/6/89
Requests
For Year
Cum Total
Returned During Year
Still Outstanding
