An offender a month is slipping out of ankle bracelets, committee hears
Parolees have been removing ankle bracelets intended to track their whereabouts, a parliamentary committee has heard. Here’s how often it’s happening.
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An average of one parolee, home detention prisoner or family violence offender a month is removing the ankle bracelet intended to track their whereabouts, a parliamentary committee has heard.
The budget estimates committee hearing into the corrections portfolio was told last financial year that 15 people fitted with ankle bracelets removed them.
They were four home detention offenders, two family violence offenders and nine parolees.
Thirteen removed their ankle brackets in 2022/23 and 15 in 2021/22.
The Community Corrections Monitoring and Compliance Unit in Hobart was recently tracking a total of 38 family violence perpetrators, 74 parolees and 48 home detention offenders.
None of the 43 offenders who removed their ankle bracelets in the last three years were high risk offenders, the committee heard.
Corrections Minister Madeleine Ogilvie recently announced a five year $4.7m extension of the contract which fits electronic monitoring ankle bracelets to offenders and duress alarms for victim-survivors.
On Thursday, Ms Ogilvie announced said that new electronic monitoring devices would be fitted to parolees to stop them from drinking.
“Similar to the standard monitoring device, the Alco Tag is an electronic monitoring device fitted to an offender’s ankle,” she said.
“In addition to standard GPS monitoring features, this new technology samples the wearer’s sweat through skin contact, testing for the presence of metabolised alcohol in their bodily fluids.
“This technology means the Parole Board can move forward with increased confidence about the ability to monitor compliance with parole conditions.
“This is all about increasing community safety and ensuring offenders are complying with the conditions of their parole order, such as curfews, abstaining from alcohol and other harmful substances.
“Alcohol monitoring devices like this have been used successfully in other jurisdictions across Australia and globally to support safer community outcomes.”
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