Mr MITCHELL - 1998-04-21
I believe prisoners sentenced under the mandatory provisions of the Sentencing Act are involved in a number of community projects. How are these projects progressing?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the Department of Correctional Services' community support program currently employs 56 prisoners, although that number can rise to about 100 prisoners. The program involves minimum-security prisoners. Of course, the majority of people sentenced under the mandatory provisions of the Sentencing Act are minimum-security prisoners. Consequently, the work parties comprise quite a high percentage of those prisoners.
We have developed and prioritised a program to offer support to the community in various areas. These are basically the graffiti hotline, which I have spoken about previously in this parliament, and assistance to the city and shire councils, senior citizens' organisations, various other non-profit organisations and some government agencies. For example ...
Mr Bailey: Are there courses on how to return hotdogs without going to jail?
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri.
Mr POOLE: Obviously, the member for Wanguri thinks this is amusing. The fact is ...
Mr Bailey: No, I think it is appalling that a person involved in a consumer affairs issue was sent to jail for 14 days.
Mr POOLE: To run Correctional Services throughout the Northern Territory, we have a team of dedicated people who want to be able to offer meaningful work to prisoners. The prisoners should be given the opportunity to give something back to the society that they have harmed or damaged in some way. This community program offers an opportunity for some good, old-fashioned hard work. It gives prisoners some skills training. Combined with education programs, it will help them with their eventual return to the community.
In Darwin, we have teams of people working. We estimate that, in the last month alone, some $12 000 to $14 000 has been saved for the Darwin community with the graffiti hot line. We have had prisoners working at Fannie Bay Gaol. They have done some commendable work at Chan Park Nursing Home. They have spent some time at the Turf Club and have been assisting the fire brigade on clean-up jobs etc. Apart from that, they have been cleaning drains for pensioners. They have assisted the city council with the cleaning of public toilets. They have been doing gardening and general maintenance jobs.
In Alice Springs, we think that, in the month of March, the community was some $10 000 ahead. Prisoners carried out general work at the Gap Youth
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Centre. They performed ground maintenance at St Mary's Village. They worked with the Salvation Army and the Drug and Alcohol Services Association. They are continuing their good work with the graffiti hotline. I have had numerous comments from residents in Alice Springs about the way that the teams have tidied the approaches to the town and some of the main streets, and in particular about the removal of graffiti from around pensioners' flats. As the former member for Braitling would point out, they are doing tremendous work for the Ghan Preservation Society.
All in all, I am very pleased with this program. I congratulate the department and the officers who are dedicated to supervising these people. I acknowledge that, at long last, these prisoners are making some form of contribution in an effort to balance the books in respect of their debt to society. We intend not only to continue these programs but to expand them.
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ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the Department of Correctional Services' community support program currently employs 56 prisoners, although that number can rise to about 100 prisoners. The program involves minimum-security prisoners. Of course, the majority of people sentenced under the mandatory provisions of the Sentencing Act are minimum-security prisoners. Consequently, the work parties comprise quite a high percentage of those prisoners.
We have developed and prioritised a program to offer support to the community in various areas. These are basically the graffiti hotline, which I have spoken about previously in this parliament, and assistance to the city and shire councils, senior citizens' organisations, various other non-profit organisations and some government agencies. For example ...
Mr Bailey: Are there courses on how to return hotdogs without going to jail?
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wanguri.
Mr POOLE: Obviously, the member for Wanguri thinks this is amusing. The fact is ...
Mr Bailey: No, I think it is appalling that a person involved in a consumer affairs issue was sent to jail for 14 days.
Mr POOLE: To run Correctional Services throughout the Northern Territory, we have a team of dedicated people who want to be able to offer meaningful work to prisoners. The prisoners should be given the opportunity to give something back to the society that they have harmed or damaged in some way. This community program offers an opportunity for some good, old-fashioned hard work. It gives prisoners some skills training. Combined with education programs, it will help them with their eventual return to the community.
In Darwin, we have teams of people working. We estimate that, in the last month alone, some $12 000 to $14 000 has been saved for the Darwin community with the graffiti hot line. We have had prisoners working at Fannie Bay Gaol. They have done some commendable work at Chan Park Nursing Home. They have spent some time at the Turf Club and have been assisting the fire brigade on clean-up jobs etc. Apart from that, they have been cleaning drains for pensioners. They have assisted the city council with the cleaning of public toilets. They have been doing gardening and general maintenance jobs.
In Alice Springs, we think that, in the month of March, the community was some $10 000 ahead. Prisoners carried out general work at the Gap Youth
Page 177
Centre. They performed ground maintenance at St Mary's Village. They worked with the Salvation Army and the Drug and Alcohol Services Association. They are continuing their good work with the graffiti hotline. I have had numerous comments from residents in Alice Springs about the way that the teams have tidied the approaches to the town and some of the main streets, and in particular about the removal of graffiti from around pensioners' flats. As the former member for Braitling would point out, they are doing tremendous work for the Ghan Preservation Society.
All in all, I am very pleased with this program. I congratulate the department and the officers who are dedicated to supervising these people. I acknowledge that, at long last, these prisoners are making some form of contribution in an effort to balance the books in respect of their debt to society. We intend not only to continue these programs but to expand them.
Page 178
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016