Page 666 - Week 02 - Thursday, 21 February 2019

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(5) When will the ACT Government website be updated to state that victims of family violence and sexual offences will now also have access to the restorative justice process.

Mr Rattenbury: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:

(1) In the 2015-16 Budget, the ACT Government announced funding of $2.058 million over four years for the expansion of restorative justice to include serious offences and offences committed by adults and juveniles, progressing to include sexual and family violence offences when the Restorative Justice Unit (RJU) staff had sufficient training to manage these more complex offences. The expanded staffing included four new positions (three convenors and an administration/court liaison worker) and funding to provide professional supervision of convenors and training to build the RJU’s capacity to manage domestic and family violence and sexual offences matters.

In the 2016-17 Budget, the Government announced funding for an additional Indigenous Guidance Partner to assist with the increase in referrals following the expansion of the RJU in 2015-16. This position has been recently trialled successfully as a convenor position benefiting the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. In the 2017-18 Budget, further funding was provided to engage an officer to provide policy and facilitation support for adult survivors of child sexual abuse who wish to engage in a direct personal response.

(2) Matters vary in their complexity and response needs markedly and as such it is difficult to provide a set number of referrals that the RJU can service at any one time, however at this stage it is estimated that a convenor may have between 10 and 13 cases as a lead convenor at any one point in time.

(3) The Family Safety Levy has not been used to fund services provided by the RJU.

(4) Community Stakeholders included in the planning of phase three of the RJ Scheme are listed on the attached ‘Community Stakeholders/Organisations List’.

(5) The new RJU website will be refreshed as part of the new JACS website platform currently under development. This is due for completion in the first half of 2019. The RJ website would not be a portal for referrals, but may, in some circumstances lead to enquiries/requests for the RJU to explore the current eligibility of a matter and subsequently prompt a referral from the relevant criminal justice referring entity.

Attachment

Community Stakeholders/Organisations for Sexual Offences and Family Violence.

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