The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to reducing crime and making Tasmania a safer place for all.
A 10 percent reduction in offences over the 2015-16 financial year is a clear sign initiatives such as restoring police numbers are working.
Today I was pleased to release Breaking the Cycle – A Safer Community: Strategies for Improving Throughcare for Offenders. This plan is the missing piece of the puzzle. It outlines clear goals and strategies to help those who come into contact with the corrections system get their lives back on track through appropriate support and interventions.
‘Throughcare’ is a coordinated, collaborative approach to reducing the risk of reoffending. It provides unified and consistent services by working closely with relevant government and non-government partners and stakeholders.
We are focused on providing the right support to offenders and their families in order to break the inter-generational cycle of offending, and the strategies and action items outlined in the report will support this goal.
Specifically, the Government is increasing its focus on assisting the effective transitions of offenders from their first contact with Corrections to successful re-integration into the community.
It will build on other reforms we are introducing, such as our plan to progressively phase out the use of suspended sentences and introduce alternative sentencing options, that will ensure offenders receive a sentence which is an appropriate response to the gravity of the crime they have committed while providing the best possible prospects for rehabilitation to enable them to become productive members of the community.
The report can be found at www.justice.tas.gov.au.