Prisoner Rehabilitation

In reply to the Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (31 May 2017).

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety): I am advised:

The Parole Board may defer or refuse an application for parole for a number of reasons, one of which is if a prisoner blatantly refuses to undertake a program to which they have been referred and assessed as suitable for participation.

In cases where a prisoner has been assessed as needing targeted rehabilitation and the prisoner is prepared to undertake that program, an application for parole may be deferred until the appropriate program is undertaken. Since additional funding for criminogenic programs was afforded to the department through the strategic budget process, more programs are being delivered and increased availability of programs will result in a reduction in the number of applications for parole being either refused or deferred.

Further, all of the additional $9.9 million in funding has been allocated to the Rehabilitation Programs Branch for the delivery of targeted rehabilitation and intervention programs over four years. The department's rehabilitation clinicians assess individual prisoners based on their needs and suitability to undertake programs.

To date, in 2016-17 the Rehabilitation Programs Branch has delivered over 7,150 hours of offence focussed programs.

Neither the Department for Correctional Services nor the Parole Board keep data on prisoners refused parole because they have not completed an appropriate rehabilitation program.