Page 2613 - Week 08 - Thursday, 14 August 2014
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We have invested in a comprehensive fleet replacement program, including new pumpers for Fire & Rescue, new rural firefighting appliances for Fire & Rescue and for the Rural Fire Service, new storm trailers and response vehicles for the State Emergency Service, and an expansion in our community fire unit program to 50 units. The government has a strong and proud record in emergency services, one that no other government can speak of, and we remain committed to continuing our strong commitment to our emergency services into the future.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo—Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Minister for Corrective Services, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs and Minister for Sport and Recreation) (4.12): I rise to speak to the Corrective Services elements of the justice and community safety budget. As part of the 2014-15 budget, the government has committed almost $2.2 million to extend funding of the through-care initiative for a further two years. This funding will enhance the government’s efforts to provide evidence-based detainee reintegration into the community. This money extends the government’s earlier funding in the 2012-13 budget, of $1.1 million across two years, for an extended through-care model.
The extended through-care model covers the period from release to approximately 12 months post release to support offenders at the end of their custodial sentence to transition into the community. Detainees who are not under a post-release supervision order are actively encouraged to access the program. The extended through-care model provides a single point of service coordination, client-centric case management and the provision of services that are responsive to offenders’ needs.
The through-care unit coordinates the delivery of five packages of services for detainees upon release from the Alexander Maconochie Centre. These packages address basic needs, health needs, housing needs, connections to family and community, and jobs needs. The through-care unit works with a large range of non-government, commonwealth and territory government service providers as well as with advocacy agencies.
As members know, it is still early days in the through-care program. We have had just over 12 months now since the program started operating. Whilst one should never draw conclusions, I have said to a range of stakeholders that it does look very promising in the sense that the early results indicate a low level of repeat offence and a low level of detainees returning to custody, significantly below the historical ROGS data levels. They are not like-for-like comparisons yet, because of the way data is measured, and I put those riders out there; I am very careful to express this. But in the early days, the signs are encouraging. The program is delivering the sorts of outcomes that were aspired to when it was designed and funded. I congratulate and thank the staff who have been working on that program, because I know that they have put their heart and soul into it. I remain optimistic that it will continue to deliver outcomes. Those thanks, of course, extend to the significant range of community organisations that have partnered with government, both in the design of through-care and in its execution.
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