HANSARD
SITTING CALENDAR
SEARCH
LIVE BROADCAST
Hansard Dynamic Subject Index
Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-09-11 Daily Xml
Contents
Pdf Xml

SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR CLINIC

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:43): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Correctional Services a question about the Mullighan inquiry.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The Mullighan inquiry report recommended that the Sexual Behaviour Clinic of the Department for Correctional Services be expanded so that all child sex offenders can attend the program while in custody and at any stage of their sentence. To this point the intensive program has been available only at Port Augusta and Yatala. This is the only recommendation of the inquiry the government rejected. According to the government response to the inquiry tabled on 17 June, the government rejected the recommendation on the basis that it was not operationally feasible.

In early July the minister defended the government's decision in parliament. Again, on radio FIVEaa in August, the minister continued to justify delivering the program to some but not all prisoners. The opposition has been advised that the government is in the process of yet another backflip with plans to expand the program. Specifically, the government plans to introduce the intensive program to South Australia's regional prisons, including Mount Gambier. My questions to the minister are:

1. Will she confirm that the Sexual Behaviour Clinic programs will be expanded?

2. Will the expanded program fully implement recommendation 13 of the Mullighan inquiry?

3. What has changed since 17 June to make the recommendation operationally feasible?

4. Will she give an assurance to this council that the expanded program is fully funded from new money and that no other programs of the department are being wound back to fund the enhanced program?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Gambling, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:45): One cannot win with those opposite. We are putting in something extra to the community, and they are complaining. Isn't that just extraordinary? We are putting extra rehabilitation into our prisons, and they are complaining. I place on record again that it was this government that introduced the sex offenders rehabilitation program, a world renowned program. We used the Canadian model and had a budget when it was introduced over three or four years, and it is now part of our recurrent budget of about $1.5 million per year.

The program, as the honourable member would know, was first piloted at Yatala Labour Prison and in the community in 2005. Last year an additional prison-based program—a core program, as we call it—was run at Port Augusta prison, and an additional program will commence. It was going to be my good news story, but my advice is that we can commence one in October at the Mount Gambier prison. Why those opposite would not welcome the expansion of rehabilitation in our prisons is a complete mystery to everybody other than those opposite.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: He says he will welcome it, so what is the issue? This extra rehabilitation in our prisons is a good thing, and I have no idea why those opposite would not welcome it. The program will expand as it is possible to do so, and that is exactly what we are doing.

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS
MEMBERS
GET INVOLVED
ABOUT PARLIAMENT
VISIT
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
CONTACT