ELECTRONIC MONITORING AND CURFEWS FOR RELEASED SERIOUS SEX OFFENDERS
Published Tuesday, 21 August, 2007 at 03:49 PM
JOINT STATEMENT
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Peter Beattie
Minister for Police and Corrective Services
The Honourable Judy Spence
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister Assisting the Premier in Western Queensland
The Honourable Kerry Shine
Parliament will this afternoon begin consideration of amendments to the Dangerous Prisoners (Sexual Offenders) Act 2003 which will strengthen the surveillance of dangerous sex offenders.
The Premier said State Cabinet had approved the amendments and the changes would go before the Parliament this afternoon.
“Under the amendments, if the Supreme Court decides to release anyone subject to the Act, officers from Queensland Corrective Services will then have the power to direct the prisoner to wear electronic monitoring and abide by a curfew,” Mr Beattie said.
“The released offender will be able to bring an application to have the conditions removed after two years of electronic monitoring and curfew conditions. If unsuccessful, the released offender can apply to the court again after a further period of 12 months.
“The offender must satisfy the court that, on the balance of probabilities, the community’s adequate protection can be ensured without a monitoring and curfew condition.
“The community expects that high risk sex offenders released under the legislation will be subject to stringent and intense supervision and surveillance in the community.
“The ability of Queensland Corrective Services to apply stringent controls and limitations on released prisoners is vital,” Mr Beattie said.
The Dangerous Prisoners (Sexual Offenders) Act 2003 allows the Supreme Court to order the continuing detention or supervised release of serious sex offenders beyond the end of their jail sentence.
In 2006, the Parliament approved amendments allowing the Supreme Court to order a released offender to wear an electronic monitoring device. Since that amendment, 10 applications for electronic monitoring have been made to the Supreme Court with the court declining to order such a condition on five occasions.
Police and Corrective Services Minister Judy Spence said electronic monitoring recently helped detect a breach by a sex offender of certain conditions of his supervision order.
"This man's electronic monitoring device alerted his supervisors that he was not in his house during his curfew," Ms Spence said.
"When Queensland Corrective Services investigated not only did they find this man had breached his conditions but that he was in the company of another sex offender who was not subject to electronic monitoring but was also in breach of his supervision order."
“These laws are not retrospective, however if a released offender does come before the Supreme Court for contravening their supervision order they may have an electronic monitoring condition imposed.
“This provides an additional layer of management and control over those offenders who pose the highest risk to community safety,” the Minister said.
Attorney-General and Justice Minister Kerry Shine said additional legislation would be put before State Parliament to create a new offence for contravening a supervision order that carries a maximum penalty of two years’ jail.
“The supervision orders for those released offenders contain a number of mandatory conditions the Court considers appropriate to ensure the adequate protection of the community,” Mr Shine said.
“The range of mandatory conditions currently apply include requirements on the released offenders to notify Queensland Corrective Services officer of their movements and whereabouts, any vehicle they own or drive,” the Attorney General said.
Tuesday August 21, 2007
For more information: Premier’s Office – 3224 4500
The Premier said State Cabinet had approved the amendments and the changes would go before the Parliament this afternoon.
“Under the amendments, if the Supreme Court decides to release anyone subject to the Act, officers from Queensland Corrective Services will then have the power to direct the prisoner to wear electronic monitoring and abide by a curfew,” Mr Beattie said.
“The released offender will be able to bring an application to have the conditions removed after two years of electronic monitoring and curfew conditions. If unsuccessful, the released offender can apply to the court again after a further period of 12 months.
“The offender must satisfy the court that, on the balance of probabilities, the community’s adequate protection can be ensured without a monitoring and curfew condition.
“The community expects that high risk sex offenders released under the legislation will be subject to stringent and intense supervision and surveillance in the community.
“The ability of Queensland Corrective Services to apply stringent controls and limitations on released prisoners is vital,” Mr Beattie said.
The Dangerous Prisoners (Sexual Offenders) Act 2003 allows the Supreme Court to order the continuing detention or supervised release of serious sex offenders beyond the end of their jail sentence.
In 2006, the Parliament approved amendments allowing the Supreme Court to order a released offender to wear an electronic monitoring device. Since that amendment, 10 applications for electronic monitoring have been made to the Supreme Court with the court declining to order such a condition on five occasions.
Police and Corrective Services Minister Judy Spence said electronic monitoring recently helped detect a breach by a sex offender of certain conditions of his supervision order.
"This man's electronic monitoring device alerted his supervisors that he was not in his house during his curfew," Ms Spence said.
"When Queensland Corrective Services investigated not only did they find this man had breached his conditions but that he was in the company of another sex offender who was not subject to electronic monitoring but was also in breach of his supervision order."
“These laws are not retrospective, however if a released offender does come before the Supreme Court for contravening their supervision order they may have an electronic monitoring condition imposed.
“This provides an additional layer of management and control over those offenders who pose the highest risk to community safety,” the Minister said.
Attorney-General and Justice Minister Kerry Shine said additional legislation would be put before State Parliament to create a new offence for contravening a supervision order that carries a maximum penalty of two years’ jail.
“The supervision orders for those released offenders contain a number of mandatory conditions the Court considers appropriate to ensure the adequate protection of the community,” Mr Shine said.
“The range of mandatory conditions currently apply include requirements on the released offenders to notify Queensland Corrective Services officer of their movements and whereabouts, any vehicle they own or drive,” the Attorney General said.
Tuesday August 21, 2007
For more information: Premier’s Office – 3224 4500