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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-03-06 Daily Xml
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Prisoners on Remand

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:28): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing a question to the Minister for Emergency Services and Correctional Services regarding prisoners on remand.

Leave granted.

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO: The number of remand prisoners in South Australia has increased by 18 per cent since 2016-17, with the largest figures showing approximately 47 per cent of the state's prison population is unsentenced. Nationally, the portion of prisoners on remand has also risen, but South Australia now exceeds the national average. This increase places additional strain on the corrections system, impacting capacity and rehabilitation efforts while raising serious concerns about access to timely justice. My questions to the minister are:

1. What specific actions is the government taking to address the increasing numbers of prisoners being held on remand in South Australia?

2. Given this trend, does the minister have concerns about the impact of prolonged remand periods on both the justice system and the correctional facilities?

3. What reforms, if any, is the government considering to ensure timely case resolution to reduce unnecessary remand detention?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (Minister for Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Autism, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:29): I thank the honourable member for her question. In regard to what are we doing in regard to infrastructure, this government has invested record amounts, I am advised, in increasing the capacity of our prisons. We know that $205 million to construct 312 high-security beds, I have been advised, are going into the Yatala Labour Prison, and also I understand that $21 million is going into the construction of 40 additional beds at the Adelaide Women's Prison.

Increasing the size of our prisons is to ensure that we are giving that space to make sure we get the people out of our community into our prison systems but also giving that space to make them available. We are also changing facilities and putting more rehabilitation programs in place. We have also invested $5.1 million into the Lemongrass Place, which is alternative custody in Port Augusta. These are investments that are going into our rehabilitation program. Most importantly, we know that we have the lowest reoffending rate in our nation, so these rehabilitation programs are working. Our future investments are going towards increasing on that record, and we know as a nation we have the lowest reoffending rate.

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