Repeat Offenders

CRACKING DOWN ON REPEAT OFFENDERS: SAFETY, JUSTICE, INTERVENTION AND ACCOUNTABILITY

The first responsibility of any government is the safety of its people and communities.

South Australia is fortunate in that it is not experiencing escalating youth crime rates, as is the case in other states. Indeed, rates of youth crime and incarceration have fallen significantly in recent years, and One Nation welcomes this outcome.

What is partly hidden by this drop in overall crime rates is a rise in repeat offending by a relatively small number of young people, in particular bail breaches and other crimes committed by these offenders while on bail. Some have dozens of crimes and offences on their records. Irrespective of issues which may have led these young people to become repeat offenders, they represent a risk to communities and property that is unacceptable.

One Nation will advocate a new approach to repeat youth offending which first and foremost prioritises community safety and trust, works to address recidivism and improve prevention through proven intervention or diversionary programs, expands South Australia’s prison capacity, and improves accountability in the justice system.

OUR POLICIES

Community safety first

One Nation will put the safety of the South Australian community first by:

• advocating stricter sentencing guidelines to help keep dangerous repeat offenders off the streets.
• reviewing and amending bail laws.
• promoting the development of more youth detention capacity in South Australia; and
• advocating that courts prioritise community safety over the individual welfare or rehabilitation prospects of repeat offenders when considering applications for bail.

Strengthening justice

Justice is a foundational principle of South Australian democracy but when it comes to repeat youth offenders, few South Australians (either victims or offenders) experience it. Victims must receive appropriate support in the aftermath of crime, and offenders must face appropriate consequences for committing crime. One Nation will strengthen justice in South Australia by:

• advocating the appointment of judges and magistrates who understand the plight of victims;
• supporting comprehensive victim support programs with counselling, legal and financial assistance; and
• requiring repeat youth offenders to make restitution to victims as part of their rehabilitation, which may also involve the offender’s family where the offender is a minor and parental neglect is demonstrated to be a contributing factor in the offending.

Intervention to prevent repeat youth offending

South Australia will significantly benefit from incorporating proven intervention or diversionary programs for at-risk youth – like Operation Flinders – in the state’s justice system. Operation Flinders and other programs interstate have high success rates in preventing at-risk youth from falling into a life of repeat offending. Operation Flinders has assisted more than 10,000 young people since its foundation in 1991, implementing programs involving challenging exercises in the northern Flinders Ranges and follow-up programs.

One Nation will advocate more public funding for Operation Flinders and the referral of suitable young offenders to their programs as part of their rehabilitation and education. Not all offenders will be suitable for the program, such as some with underlying mental health issues – in these cases One Nation would advocate the referral of subjects to appropriate mental health treatments.

Judicial accountability to community safety

“What were you thinking?”

It’s a question which has been asked countless times in the South Australian community when a magistrate or judge releases a serious repeat offender on bail – especially when that repeat offender commits more crimes or offences while on bail.

In cases where a serious crime involving property damage, robbery or personal injury is committed by an offender currently on bail One Nation advocates the creation of a ‘community judicial accountability panel’ comprising members of the broader South Australian community and legal experts before which the magistrate or judge responsible for the bail decision must appear to in a public hearing to justify the decision. The panel would then be required to make a report with recommendations, which would be tabled in Parliament by the Attorney-General along with the government’s response to the recommendations.