Probation and parole - Queensland Corrective Services

Queensland Corrective Services
Probation and Parole
Probation
and parole

2 Probation and Parole Service
Queensland Corrective Services
Queensland Corrective Services Probation and Parole was introduced in August 2006
and focuses on the tough supervision and surveillance of offenders, creating strong
links with the courts and the judiciary, and delivering a suite of major rehabilitation and
intervention programs.
The role of Probation and Parole is to:
assist courts and Parole Boards to assess whether offenders are suitable for
community-based orders
enforce the conditions of court and Parole Board orders
protect the community by assisting offenders to successfully complete their
orders
Parole and other orders
As part of changes introduced under the Corrective Services Act 2006, parole is the only
form of early release available to all prisoners. Under the new legislation, prisoners
serve the entire sentence handed down by a court, either in custody or on parole in the
community.
Prisoners sentenced to three years or less imprisonment (except sex offenders and
serious violent offenders) are given a parole release date by the sentencing court.
Prisoners who have been convicted of sex offences or serious violent offences or who
are sentenced to more than three years in jail must apply to a Parole Board for release to
parole.
Prisoners on parole remain under the supervision of Queensland Corrective Services
until the end of their sentence. Parolees are subject to certain conditions; for example,
they must report regularly to their Probation and Parole Office, attend rehabilitation
programs, undergo drug testing and abstain from alcohol. Specific conditions relating to
employment, curfew or a place of residence may also be applied.
Offenders serving their sentences in the community can be placed on:
probation
intensive correction orders
prison/probation orders
community service orders
drug rehabilitation order
Offenders on such orders are subject to supervision by a Probation and Parole Officer,
and may also be required to attend rehabilitation programs or counselling, and perform
community service. Offenders on an intervention order who fail to comply are returned
to court for breach action.

Regional structure
Queensland Corrective Services
Probation and Parole is structured into eight regions with a regional manager
responsible for managing the District Office in which they are based.
Probation and parole services are delivered through 34 district offices and over 100
reporting centres. Reporting centres enable offenders to be supervised by Probation and
Parole officers in the community in which they live.
Probation and Parole Service
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Probation and Parole staff
Under Probation and Parole, staff are divided into five distinct groups professional
staff, intelligence positions, programs staff, support staff and court services staff.
The previous Community Corrections model merged assessment, case management,
compliance and intervention functions into the role of one Community Corrections
Officer (CCO). This resulted in conflicting functions for CCOs.
Roles for Probation and Parole Officers are now specialised to reduce the complexity of
an officer s responsibilities, and improve efficiency, transparency and accountability.
Assessment officers
Specialist assessment staff conduct assessments and establish a management
plan for each offender based on their reoffending risk and individual needs.
These offenders management plans may include a range of activities and
conditions including program referral, individual counselling with external
providers, compliance with drug testing regimes or employment preparation and
assistance.
Case management officers
Case management officers are Probation and Parole s most experienced officers
who focus on helping high risk offenders to develop the skills required to
successfully complete their order and to prevent re-offending. Case management
officers work closely with corrective services intelligence officers, local police
and community organisations and agencies.
Reporting officers
Reporting officers are responsible for the ongoing monitoring and supervision of
low to medium risk offenders. They work closely with community agencies and
are responsible for implementing the offender s management plan and ensuring
offenders comply with their orders.
Compliance and surveillance officers
Compliance officers are responsible for the preparation of court briefs and
associated documents following the contravention of court orders. They ensure
contraventions of orders are brought before the court quickly and efficiently, and
that warrants are issued for those offenders who abscond from supervision. This
role also involves supervising offenders on community service orders.
Surveillance officers are responsible for ensuring offenders are complying
with the terms of their orders. They are involved in activities such as breath
and urinalysis testing, ensuring high risk offenders adhere to curfews and
determining whether offenders are providing accurate personal details.
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Queensland Corrective Services

Intelligence staff
Intelligence staff compliment Probation and Parole s increased surveillance capacity.
Their role is to accurately inform management about higher risk offenders who are being
supervised in the community.
Intelligence advisors develop, coordinate and supervise intelligence plans, and provide
QCS Intelligence and Investigations Division with information to help reduce risk to the
community.
These intelligence plans are analysed and monitored by intelligence analysts who are
located in key Probation and Parole offices across the State.
Support staff
The administrative, administration and business system functions of each Probation
and Parole Office are carried out by a range of support staff.
Court services
Under Probation and Parole, the former Court Advisory Service will be replaced with
professional prosecutors in each of the Probation and Parole regions.
A new Judicial Liaison Unit will provide consistent and standardised information to
courts, regional managers and district managers.
Programs staff
Queensland Corrective Services
Intervention programs are delivered to offenders on court-orders across the State
through a network of eight dedicated programs hubs.
While working with Probation and Parole, the program staff in these hubs are part of
QCS Offender Programs and Services Directorate to ensure a higher quality of practice
and supervision in their specialised roles.
Programs staff include regional coordinators who establish and manage the program
hubs, and work in collaboration with Probation and Parole regional managers, district
managers and operational staff. Intervention programs are delivered to offenders by
program facilitators.
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Community service
As part of their court orders, offenders may be sentenced to undertake community
service under the supervision of Probation and Parole.
Community service projects are operated by not-for-profit community organisations.
They include environmental groups, schools, ambulance services, charities, mealson-wheels,
sporting clubs, local councils and many other organisations. Voluntary
supervisors oversee the offenders working on the projects.
Offenders work one or two days a week and, for many, it is their first experience
of community work. Some offenders continue this work voluntarily following the
completion of their orders.
Intervention programs
Offenders on probation and parole orders have access to a range of programs and
interventions aimed at lowering their risk of re-offending.
These programs, offered through the eight program hubs, assist offenders to confront
their criminal behaviour, and develop pro-social skills and techniques to control their
behaviour and avoid situations that may lead to further offending.
These programs include:
The Turning Point: Preparatory Program, which helps offenders prepare to change
their offending behaviour. The program helps offenders to weigh up the pros and
cons of changing their behaviour, and to help them to become more confident
about their ability to make positive changes in their lives
the Getting SMART: Moderate intensity substance abuse program that teaches
offenders to use cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) principles, theories, tools
and techniques to abstain from any type of addictive behaviour
the Making Choices program that addresses general offending behaviour and
helps participants to look at how they came to offend while also helping them
to recognise points where different choices could be made. There are different
versions of this program developed for male and female offenders
the Ending Family Violence program that tackles violence within Indigenous
families and aims to develop culturally-appropriate solutions to protect adults
and children from the effects of domestic violence
the Ending Offending program that is designed to meet the needs of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander offenders in a culturally appropriate manner. The
overall aim of this program is to modify the drinking and offending behaviour of
indigenous offenders in the correctional system.
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Queensland Corrective Services

Lower Gulf and Torres Strait
As part of Probation and Parole, Gulf and Torres Strait Island communities are benefiting
from tougher surveillance of offenders and state-of-the-art rehabilitation programs.
A trial of the new probation and parole model was introduced in Doomadgee,
Mornington Island, Normanton and Thursday Island in June 2006.
For the first time permanent Probation and Parole offices are being established in
the lower Gulf and Torres Strait to provide a higher level of supervision and case
management of offenders under community-based orders.
The Probation and Parole model for the lower Gulf and Torres Strait region aims to
reduce the over-representation of Indigenous people in Queensland s corrective
services system. The improved supervision and access to rehabilitation programs is
designed to provide a real sentencing alternative for judges and magistrates.
Probation and Parole district offices
Probation and Parole district offices are located at:
Beenleigh
Brisbane Central
Brisbane North
Brisbane South
Bundaberg
Burleigh Heads
Caboolture
Cairns
Cleveland
Emerald
Gladstone
Gympie
Hervey Bay
Inala
Innisfail
Ipswich
Kingaroy
Queensland Corrective Services
Logan City
Mackay
Mareeba
Maroochydore
Mt Gravatt
Mt Isa
Noosa Heads
Pine Rivers
Redcliffe
Rockhampton
Roma
Southport
Thuringowa
Thursday Island
Toowoomba
Townsville
Wynnum
For contact details, contact Queensland Corrective Services on 3227 7111 or visit our
website at www.correctiveservices.qld.gov.au
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8 Probation and Parole Service
Queensland Corrective Services
GPO Box 1054
Brisbane, Qld 4001
For further publications on Queensland Corrective Services,
visit our website at
www.correctiveservices.qld.gov.au