Ankle bracelet program to be extended to cover accused domestic violence offenders

Changes are coming to Tasmania’s advanced electronic monitoring programs with the devices set to be used on those accused of domestic violence. Here’s the details.

Minister for Corrections and Rehabilitation Madeleine Ogilvie, Community Corrections executive director Chris Carney and Attorney-General Guy Barnett inspect ankle bracelets at the Community Corrections Monitoring and Compliance Unit in Hobart on Thursday, February 6, 2025.

Tasmania’s advanced electronic monitoring programs will be extended to cover those accused of domestic violence offences who are released into the community on bail, the state’s Justice and Corrections Ministers have announced.

Foreshadowing new legislation to extend the reach of a program which has already proved its worth monitoring other clients of the criminal justice system, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Guy Barnett said the government will seek to amend existing legislation.

Community Corrections’ Monitoring and Compliance Unit in Hobart currently tracks convicted family violence perpetrators, parolees and those on home detention orders who are fitted with GPS-enabled ankle bracelets.

It also keeps track of duress alarms which are issued to victim-survivors and alerts them when their perpetrator is within a defined distance of their location.

Executive Director Community Corrections Chris Carney holds an Electronic Monitoring Ankle Bracelet at Hobart. Picture: Chris Kidd

“The Tasmanian Liberal Government’s introduction of electronic monitoring to increase community safety has been nation-leading,” Mr Barnett said.

“We are setting out to build on our nation-leading program that ensures the right level of intervention and response from across government is in place to mitigate risks to victim-survivors.

“The current ability to include electronic monitoring as a condition of a family violence order enables greater monitoring of family violence perpetrators and further mitigates risk to victim-survivors and their children.

“For individuals charged with family violence offences, our system also ensures there is a presumption against bail unless a court is satisfied that the release of a perpetrator on bail would not be likely to adversely affect the safety, wellbeing and interests of victim-survivors and their children.”

Minister for Corrections and Rehabilitation, Madeleine Ogilvie said the electronic monitoring program had been carefully built to meet the needs of a modern community.

“We have invested carefully and strategically in our monitoring program, drawing on expertise and leanings from national and international jurisdictions,” she said.

“Using technology to improve community safety is now a core part of community corrections.

“We have invested carefully to ensure we have the most up-to-date technology and the capacity to do more.”

The draft legislation is expected with be released for consultation in the coming months.

Originally published as Ankle bracelet program to be extended to cover accused domestic violence offenders