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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-09-24 Daily Xml
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PRISONER REHABILITATION

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (14:55): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the minister representing the Minister for Correctional Services a question about rehabilitation services at the Yatala Labour Prison and other correctional facilities within the state.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: Over the past few years, since I have been elected to this place, I have heard regular complaints from constituents regarding rehabilitation services at Yatala—and, indeed, at other prisons throughout the state. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, as at 30 June last year there were some 1,942 prisoners in custody within South Australia, and on that date there were 269 prisoners at the Adelaide Remand Centre. According to a criminal lawyer to whom I have spoken, they are being looked after by just one social worker.

With respect to the Magill Training Centre, and with recognition of the improvements that were announced yesterday, I received a reply to a question on notice this month noting that there was, again, just one full-time worker—appointed in 2008—who had, as their primary role, the delivery of rehabilitation programs to youths at that centre. With respect to rehabilitation for sex offenders, Supreme Court Justice Margaret Nyland this week, in reference to the Trevor Marshall case, was highly critical of the fact that this offender was not provided with any rehabilitation treatment almost seven years after he pleaded guilty. Indeed, of 210 sex offenders in gaol at any one time there is apparently provision to treat only 44 each year.

Finally, with respect to Yatala Labour Prison, which had some 466 prisoners as at 30 June last year, I was astounded some weeks ago to receive a reply to a freedom of information request which read in part:

The Department for Correctional Services holds no documents detailing the programs, number of staff and funding applied to deliver rehabilitation programs at Yatala Labour Prison.

My questions are:

1. Why is it that the department tasked with rehabilitating prisoners has no documents regarding rehabilitation of prisoners at Yatala?

2. Is not the failure to have any documents whatsoever regarding rehabilitation indicative of a department that is not providing rehabilitation services—or very few of them?

3. Is it true that the touted figure of 17 per cent of operating expenditure being devoted to rehabilitation services also includes expenditure on programs provided to non-prisoners, such as community service work programs and programs offered to offenders on supervised bail conditions?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy) (14:58): I thank the honourable member for his important questions. I will refer them to the appropriate minister in another place and bring back a response.

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