Published Thursday, 01 March, 2007 at 03:40 PM
Minister for Police and Corrective Services
The Honourable Judy Spence
NEW PROBATION AND PAROLE OFFICE FOR TOWNSVILLE
Corrective Services Minister Judy Spence today opened Queensland’s newest Probation and Parole office in Townsville, as part of the biggest overhaul of Queensland’s community service system in 15 years.
The $770,000 office employs 27 staff who supervise 335 offenders working for a range of community organisations completing work such as painting and general maintenance, to cleaning, kitchen and laundry work.
The event also included the opening in Townsville of the state’s third programs hub, which provides specialist programs for parolees.
“The new Probation and Parole service started in August last year and is providing tougher supervision and surveillance of offenders who are serving community-based orders,” Ms Spence said.
“The program hubs are part of the service, as they are staffed by specialist program facilitators who are delivering new and improved programs to parolees that target general offending, sexual offending, substance abuse and program maintenance.
“This new hub in Townsville, like those in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, enable staff to deliver programs after hours and on weekends so that offenders are still able to work.”
Last year, offenders on community service orders in the Townsville area completed 10,427 hours of community service work, worth $156,405.
Ms Spence said the Probation and Parole service also created an Australian-first in community-based supervision services.
“Under this service, we became the first state in Australia to use specialist intelligence officers working alongside Probation and Parole officers to monitor offenders,” Ms Spence said.
“There is currently one intelligence officer working in North Queensland providing assistance to both the Cairns and Townsville Probation and Parole regions.”
Ms Spence was given a tour of the new Probation and Parole office, which features a secure reception counter, four interview rooms with separate staff and offender entrances, two programs delivery rooms, and urinalysis testing facilities.
The office has a security alarm system including proximity door readers, duress alarms and a CCTV surveillance system.
The office also supports the Townsville’s Drug Court and is currently supervising 29 offenders completing intensive drug rehabilitation orders.
As part of the new Probation and Parole service, Gulf and Torres Strait Island communities are also benefiting from new permanent Probation and Parole offices on Thursday Island, Mornington Island and in Doomadgee and Normanton.
In the past, offenders serving community-based orders in these communities were supervised by officers who travelled vast distances from Cairns and Mt Isa.
Media contact: Alison Smith 3239 6218 / 0439 673 287
The $770,000 office employs 27 staff who supervise 335 offenders working for a range of community organisations completing work such as painting and general maintenance, to cleaning, kitchen and laundry work.
The event also included the opening in Townsville of the state’s third programs hub, which provides specialist programs for parolees.
“The new Probation and Parole service started in August last year and is providing tougher supervision and surveillance of offenders who are serving community-based orders,” Ms Spence said.
“The program hubs are part of the service, as they are staffed by specialist program facilitators who are delivering new and improved programs to parolees that target general offending, sexual offending, substance abuse and program maintenance.
“This new hub in Townsville, like those in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, enable staff to deliver programs after hours and on weekends so that offenders are still able to work.”
Last year, offenders on community service orders in the Townsville area completed 10,427 hours of community service work, worth $156,405.
Ms Spence said the Probation and Parole service also created an Australian-first in community-based supervision services.
“Under this service, we became the first state in Australia to use specialist intelligence officers working alongside Probation and Parole officers to monitor offenders,” Ms Spence said.
“There is currently one intelligence officer working in North Queensland providing assistance to both the Cairns and Townsville Probation and Parole regions.”
Ms Spence was given a tour of the new Probation and Parole office, which features a secure reception counter, four interview rooms with separate staff and offender entrances, two programs delivery rooms, and urinalysis testing facilities.
The office has a security alarm system including proximity door readers, duress alarms and a CCTV surveillance system.
The office also supports the Townsville’s Drug Court and is currently supervising 29 offenders completing intensive drug rehabilitation orders.
As part of the new Probation and Parole service, Gulf and Torres Strait Island communities are also benefiting from new permanent Probation and Parole offices on Thursday Island, Mornington Island and in Doomadgee and Normanton.
In the past, offenders serving community-based orders in these communities were supervised by officers who travelled vast distances from Cairns and Mt Isa.
Media contact: Alison Smith 3239 6218 / 0439 673 287