Mrs FINOCCHIARO - 2014-08-20
Can you please update the House about the roll-out of electronic monitoring in the Northern Territory and how it will assist to keep the community safe?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, we as a government take the corrections environment very seriously.
I have reported to this House on a number of occasions on the importance of running a corrections system not only based on the buildings, but what you do inside those buildings. As a consequence, we have enjoyed a substantial reduction in the projected numbers of prisoners in the corrections system.
We continue to find a balance between protecting Territorians and correcting those people who find their way, as prisoners, into our corrections system. The Sentenced to a Job program needs no further description in this House; suffice to say it is proving successful beyond expectations.
The public expect people in the corrections system to be properly monitored. As a consequence, we have now rolled out the promise Labor failed to fulfil and have introduced into the Northern Territory an electronic monitoring system. We have tested it; it is now working sufficiently well. Soon prisoners in the Barkly Work Camp will be placed on electronic monitoring. Electronic monitoring is a vehicle with which we can track people in the community. The technology has changed enormously in the last few years. As people in the Barkly Work Camp go into town, we can monitor them as they move around our community.
In the fullness of time - and I hope it is not too far into the future - electronic monitoring will also be a way we can offer alternatives to the courts in relation to remand, and to police as alternatives to custody in relation to setting the terms of bail. Electronic monitoring is one of a number of processes used to monitor people in the custodial or post-custodial environment. As a government, we are proud to say we are rolling this out in the Northern Territory. It will be supplied by G4S, an organisation with a great deal of experience in this field.
This shows the stark difference between us and the Labor Party. I remember when it was announced by the Labor Party, four or five years ago, they were going down this path. That is the difference – no one has ever been monitored by a Labor media release.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, we as a government take the corrections environment very seriously.
I have reported to this House on a number of occasions on the importance of running a corrections system not only based on the buildings, but what you do inside those buildings. As a consequence, we have enjoyed a substantial reduction in the projected numbers of prisoners in the corrections system.
We continue to find a balance between protecting Territorians and correcting those people who find their way, as prisoners, into our corrections system. The Sentenced to a Job program needs no further description in this House; suffice to say it is proving successful beyond expectations.
The public expect people in the corrections system to be properly monitored. As a consequence, we have now rolled out the promise Labor failed to fulfil and have introduced into the Northern Territory an electronic monitoring system. We have tested it; it is now working sufficiently well. Soon prisoners in the Barkly Work Camp will be placed on electronic monitoring. Electronic monitoring is a vehicle with which we can track people in the community. The technology has changed enormously in the last few years. As people in the Barkly Work Camp go into town, we can monitor them as they move around our community.
In the fullness of time - and I hope it is not too far into the future - electronic monitoring will also be a way we can offer alternatives to the courts in relation to remand, and to police as alternatives to custody in relation to setting the terms of bail. Electronic monitoring is one of a number of processes used to monitor people in the custodial or post-custodial environment. As a government, we are proud to say we are rolling this out in the Northern Territory. It will be supplied by G4S, an organisation with a great deal of experience in this field.
This shows the stark difference between us and the Labor Party. I remember when it was announced by the Labor Party, four or five years ago, they were going down this path. That is the difference – no one has ever been monitored by a Labor media release.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016