Community Corrections
Courts may decide that an offender should receive a penalty other than imprisonment. These offenders are often then referred to the department to undertake community based sanctions including Probation, Community Service (Repay SA), Supervised Bail or Intensive Bail Supervision (Court ordered Home Detention).
During the period of their community based sentence, offenders are supervised by the department and are often ordered to undertake programs to address their offending behaviour. Offenders are required to comply with all conditions of the community based order. In addition to supervising offenders on court orders, the department provides community based supervision for prisoners leaving prison on Parole and Home Detention programs.
Community Corrections has recently implemented a targeted, risk based model of offender management, known as Enhanced Community Corrections.
Improving public safety and managing offenders based on their level of risk are the key principles behind the Enhanced Community Corrections Project.
Enhanced Community Corrections strengthens the department’s capacity to effectively and rigorously manage adult offenders in the community with a focus on public safety, public confidence, offender responsibility, and the rights of victims.
Improving public safety and managing offenders based on their level of risk are the key principles behind the Enhanced Community Corrections Project.
Enhanced Community Corrections strengthens the department’s capacity to effectively and rigorously manage adult offenders in the community with a focus on public safety, public confidence, offender responsibility, and the rights of victims.
Part of the Enhanced Community Corrections approach involves subjecting offenders to random breath and urine testing to detect the use of illicit drugs and alcohol.
Testing is undertaken by a specialist mobile Alcohol and Other Drug Management Unit which visits community correctional centres across the State with the sole purpose of conducting urine and breath tests.
Testing is undertaken by a specialist mobile Alcohol and Other Drug Management Unit which visits community correctional centres across the State with the sole purpose of conducting urine and breath tests.
Community Corrections services are provided at 17 Community Correctional Centres situated throughout the State. Not only are these administration centres for community corrections, but most have a workbase attached or close by for the supervision of offenders in community service work programs.
It is from these centres that such offenders are organised into work crews for individual projects.
It is from these centres that such offenders are organised into work crews for individual projects.
Work bases hold equipment and other facilities for this work to be completed.
Community Corrections Centres are staffed by community corrections officers some of whom are qualified social workers, other staff are recruited from a range of vocations .Staff required to supervise community service work have a trade or skills background.
Community Corrections Officers supervise offenders on bail or home detention bail, home detention, bonds , parole, licences under the mental impairment legislation and community service.
Community Corrections Officers also prepare pre sentence reports and bail reports for the courts and pre -release reports for the Parole Board. (In South Australia the courts have the power to remand a person on bail with home detention conditions. Generally these people are not permitted to leave their home unless they have prior approval.)