This inquiry was established to report on whether it is appropriate and in the public interest to introduce a 'back-end' home detention scheme in New South Wales. Reported in the House on Wednesday 2 June 2004, Minutes of Proceedings No 58, Item 3, p 827.
Home detention is a non-custodial sentence that permits an offender to serve part or all of a term of imprisonment in the offender’s home, under strict supervision and subject to conditions set by the court. Home detention may be either 'front-end' or 'back end'. An order for front-end home detention allows an offender to serve the full term of their sentence in their own home. A back-end home detention order may only be made after a prisoner has served part of the sentence in gaol, as part of parole or as a distinct stage of the sentence. Back-end home detention is known as 'pre-release' home detention in some jurisdictions.
The Committee made a public call for submissions, received 21 submissions in total. The Committee also held two days of public hearings with a range of witnesses in March 2005. After the evidence gathering phase of the inquiry, the Committee resolved to consider the issues raised in the context of another related inquiry it was conducting - the Inquiry into Community Based Sentencing in Rural and Remote Areas and for Disadvantaged Populations. The Committee therefore made a brief report to inform the House of its progress and its intention to consider the issue of a back-end home detention scheme in the context of its broader Inquiry into Community Based Sentencing.Relevant Legislation
Legislative Council Committee Report Debate, 23 June 2005
