10 Aug 2017
Prisoner Reoffending
The Hon. A.L. McLACHLAN (15:22): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Correctional Services a question regarding the Strategic Policy Panel report.
Leave granted.
The Hon. A.L. McLACHLAN: In early July, the Strategic Policy Panel delivered its report, which outlined 36 recommendations for reducing reoffending by 2020. The government has indicated an acceptance of all 36 recommendations. Can the minister advise the chamber whether the policy panel or the department intends to establish individual deadlines for implementing each of the 36 recommendations?
The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:22): I thank the honourable member for his question and his interest in an important area of public policy. Only a few weeks ago the government released its policy response to the Strategic Policy Panel’s effort. Within the government’s response, there are two documents. One is a brief summary of the government’s response, and a more substantial document goes into the detail of the government’s response to the Strategic Policy Panel’s recommendations. That document outlines quite thoroughly, in my view, the government’s policy in terms of its actual plan for a reduction in reoffending by 10 per cent by the year 2020, which it is now in the business of implementing.
As I have said recently, there are two key funded components within that plan. There are other components that are important, but the two key funded components out of this year’s state budget are the investment in the New Foundations program, which is all about making sure we reduce the number of prisoners who are released into homelessness, and of course the Work Ready, Release Ready program, which aims to increase the number of prisoners who are released to a job. I am more than happy to make sure the Hon. Mr McLachlan receives a copy of those policy documents, if he does not already have them, because they quite thoroughly work through the government’s response to the recommendations from the Strategic Policy Panel.
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