Legislation that formalises Queensland’s long-standing participation in a national scheme facilitating the transfer and supervision of people on community-based orders across Australia has been passed by Parliament.
Minister for Corrective Services, Mark Ryan said the legislation recognised Queensland’s participation in a nationally agreed legislative scheme to manage and facilitate interstate transfer of community-based offenders.
“It provides the ability for sentences imposed in Queensland to be managed and administered interstate, including any required breach action,” Mr Ryan said.
He said the Community Based Sentences (Interstate Transfer) Bill 2019 addressed risks associated with the current informal process.
“Informal arrangements currently in place mean that offenders who have moved interstate are managed by the originating jurisdiction, not the State that they are residing in.”
Mr Ryan said the legislation supported the nationwide model and provided consistency in offender management across jurisdictions.
He said the legislation also formalised the ability of Queensland Corrective Services to refuse the entry of an interstate offender.
“It limits the requirement for costly enforcement and extradition action following an offender’s contravention of a community-based sentence interstate,” Mr Ryan said.
He said the legislation provided the ability for an offender to have their community-based sentence formally transferred and registered in an interstate jurisdiction, and ensured that appropriate management and supervision of the community-based sentence could occur in the receiving interstate jurisdiction.
