26 September 2023

Community Corrections mark 70 years’ service

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Community Corrections celebrated 70 years of service last week (26 August) with a virtual morning tea and the release of a celebration video.

Minister for Corrections, Anthony Roberts said Corrections Officers played a crucial role in reducing reoffending by helping people on parole adapt to a normal, lawful life through engagement and education.

Mr Roberts said people on parole were subject to strict conditions around housing, movements, employment and other aspects of their life.

“Parole is built into a person’s sentence by the courts to ensure they have a period of incarceration followed by a period of living in the community with supervision,” Mr Roberts said.

Manager of the Sydney City office for Community Corrections, Rick Pratley said staff had a more specialised role than when he started with the Service 35 years ago, and were better equipped to assess a person’s risk to the community and their likelihood of reoffending.

“When I started in 1986, I received a street directory, a black suitcase and a Dictaphone for taking notes in the field,” Mr Pratley said.

“Through the evolution of technology and data-based systems, we’re now much more effective in profiling offenders and making risk assessments, which has been hugely effective in reducing reoffending,” he said.

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