Community to take active role in rehabilitation of offenders

12/2/00
Attorney General Peter Foss is urging the community to take an active role in the fight to reduce offenders returning to criminal activity.
"The community can play a crucial role in helping to meet the Government and the Ministry of Justice's four cornerstones of justice - rehabilitation, reparation, care and custody," Mr Foss said.
"It is a great opportunity for the community to get involved with the State Government's commitment in providing opportunities to rehabilitate offenders and create a Safer WA.
"In particular the Ministry needs suitable work options for people with particular needs, such as women with young children, and volunteers."
The Attorney General has asked the Ministry of Justice to consider various options to improve the success rates of offenders completing the required hours of community work sanctions imposed by the courts or other relevant authorities.
"The Ministry investigated the availability of external resources which may have been overlooked in the past, to assist in the management of disadvantaged offenders who have community work obligation," Mr Foss said.
"They identified two key areas and are now calling for volunteers and for Government and community not-for-profit organisations in the metropolitan area to provide community work opportunities.
"Of particular interest are organisations which have work opportunities suitable for women offenders with young children who are subject to court-ordered community work obligations," he said.
"Women who have either pre-school or school age children, historically, have been a difficult group to cater for.
"Volunteers, through unpaid services, could assist in a number of ways including mentoring, transport assistance to and from community work projects, assisting with specific tasks to enable ex-offenders to attend rehabilitation and community reparation programs, and assisting supervisors at community work locations."
Media contact: Chris Morris 9321 2222