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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 12 Hansard (13 November) . . Page.. 4067 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General) (11.04): Mr Speaker, I present the Remand Centres (Amendment) Bill 1997, together with its explanatory memorandum.

Title read by Clerk.

MR HUMPHRIES: I move:

That this Bill be agreed to in principle.

The Remand Centres (Amendment) Bill 1997 provides for amendments to the Remand Centres Act 1976 that are consequential to the introduction of the Prisoners' Interstate Leave Bill 1997, and some other mainly administrative amendments. The major consequential amendments are: To provide that custody of persons detained in a remand centre be transferred from the superintendent to an escort whilst on an interstate leave permit; to provide that the superintendent may withhold entitlements from a detainee for the failure of the detainee to comply with reasonable directions whilst on an interstate leave permit; to provide that prisoners in the ACT on interstate leave permits may be detained overnight at a remand centre if such accommodation is required, or, if they have escaped or attempted to escape whilst in the ACT on a permit, for up to seven days, pending being handed back to an interstate escort for return to their own jurisdiction; and to provide that detainees may make complaints to the Official Visitor in relation to interstate leave issues. These amendments are required to support the important initiatives being introduced by the Prisoners' Interstate Leave Bill.

In addition, I have taken this opportunity to introduce the following changes to the Remand Centres Act 1976: Firstly, to change the decision-maker from me to the administrator in relation to requests for temporary leave within the ACT. This brings the granting of such leave into line with that proposed for interstate leave in the Prisoners' Interstate Leave Bill 1997. As a result, the granting of temporary leave within the Territory will also become a matter about which detainees may complain to the Official Visitor. Secondly, to provide the administrator with additional powers of delegation to cover matters relating to the granting of interstate and intrastate leave, and a number of administrative matters. The use of delegated powers will be confined to circumstances specified in the regulations, which will be those when the administrator is unavailable and a decision needs to be made urgently. Thirdly, to bring the penalty provisions of the Act into line with current practice. These practices should facilitate better administration of remand centres in the ACT. I commend the Bill to the house.

Debate (on motion by Mr Wood) adjourned.

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