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Final Suspended Sentences Report Released
The Sentencing Advisory Council today released the final report in our review of the use of suspended sentences in Victoria.
In August 2004, the Attorney-General asked the Sentencing Advisory Council to advise on the use of suspended sentences of imprisonment and on whether reported community concerns about their operation indicated a need for reform.
The review process involved a series of publications and extensive consultation. In the course of the review, it became increasingly clear that it was impossible to consider reforms to suspended sentences without also examining other intermediate sentencing orders, because problems with the form and operation of those orders contribute to the overuse of suspended sentences.
The Council therefore released its final report in two parts:
- Part 1 – was released in May 2006 and focused on suspended sentences.
- Part 2 – released today, focuses on improvements to other intermediate sentencing orders, and contains the Council’s final recommendations on suspended sentences.
Today’s report recommends:
- Changes to Intensive Correction Orders, Home Detention, Community-based Orders and the power to defer sentencing.
- Abolition of the Combined Custody and Treatment Order.
- The introduction of an Intensive Correction Order (Drug and Alcohol) and a Community-based Order (Young Adult Offenders).
- A review of the power to suspend a prison sentence, once these other reforms have been implemented and sufficient time has elapsed to properly evaluate their impact.
The Suspended Sentences and Intermediate Sentencing Orders: Suspended Sentences Final Report Part 2 is available for download from this website.