Conference paper

Achieving the right balance

Alan Piper
Director-General, Department of Justice, Western Australia

Presented at:
Probation and community corrections : making the community safer
Novotel Langley, Perth
23-24 September 2002

• No paper available

Abstract

The Western Australian Government has implemented a reform program that aims to reduce the rate of imprisonment. In the mid 1990's Western Australia's imprisonment rate rose dramatically but was not accompanied by a corresponding fall in community corrections. Since early 2001 WA has achieved significant reductions in its rate of imprisonment and in absolute numbers of prisoners. At the same time the number of people managed by community corrections has increased. The challenge facing the Western Australian Department of Justice is achieving an optimal balance between imprisonment and community sanctions that improve community safety.

Some of the fundamental elements are:

• Reducing indigenous imprisonment and providing services to remote aboriginal communities;
• Reducing recidivism by addressing social and criminogenic factors that may lead to offending behaviour;
• Increasing the effectiveness of supervision, program interventions and relationships with community organisations;
• Developing effective adult diversionary programs that channel low level and first time offenders away from more serious entanglement in the criminal justice system.

By outlining some of the innovative responses in Western Australia and in other jurisdictions the parameters for achieving the right balance can start to be identified. The perspective provided will draw on discussions around throughcare and the need to integrate services across the Justice continuum and with the community to achieve the best possible outcome for offenders and the public.