NEW PROBATION AND PAROLE OFFICE FOR THURSDAY ISLAND

New permanent offices and staff in the Torres StraitIsland are providing tougher surveillance of offenders on probation and parole and state-of-the-art rehabilitation programs, the Minister for Police and Corrective Services, Judy Spence said today.

The new Thursday Island Probation and Parole Office was officially opened today by Ms Spence and Queensland Corrective Services Director-General Frank Rockett.

“This new office on Thursday Island is working with three new Probation and Parole Offices that have been established in the lower Gulf in Doomadgee, MorningtonIsland and Normanton,” Ms Spence said.

“Together they are providing a higher level of supervision and case management of offenders under community-based orders.

“In the past, offenders who have been on community-based orders living in the Torres Strait were supervised by Probation and Parole officers from Cairns.

“Those officers had to travel vast distances to conduct programs and supervise offenders’ reporting arrangements.

“These new offices on Thursday Island are providing significant improvements to services for local Indigenous communities, with permanent Probation and Parole officers and programs staff now working in the region.”

Ms Spence said the new Probation and Parole Service was designed to provide a strong sentencing alternative for magistrates.

“Many offenders are now being given Court Ordered Parole by magistrates rather than a custodial sentence,” Ms Spence said.

“For example, in the lower Gulf communities of MorningtonIsland, Doomadgee and Normanton, in the past six months since Probation and Parole has been provided there, the number of community based orders in these communities has increased by more than 250 percent.

“There are now 239 offenders being supervised by Probation and Parole in these three centres alone.

“Many offenders have already completed programs - or will soon – that have been specifically designed to address their offending.”

Ms Spence said the results reflect the courts’ increasing faith in the Probation and Parole service.

“We have built in greater supervision and surveillance of offenders with this new service,” Ms Spence said.

“Queensland is the first in Australia to introduce intelligence officers to work with supervision staff managing offenders on probation and parole.

“Not only are offenders on parole now more closely supervised – but are able to participate in a range of programs designed to address their offending whilst still in the community.”

Ms Spence said the Thursday Island office has three staff – a District Manager, a Probation and Parole Officer and an Administration Officer – who work from a dedicated office space in the Doomadgee courthouse.

“The staff supervise about 80 offenders located on Thursday Island and 17 surrounding island communities,” Ms Spence said.

The Thursday Island Probation and Parole Office is located on Level 1, 80-82 Douglas Street, Thursday Island. The official opening will start at 2.30pm on Tuesday February 13.

Media contact: Alison Smith 3239 6218