“Department of Corrections data released under OIA shows the number of medium to high-risk offenders who have been given a community-based ‘intensive supervision’ sentence has almost doubled in just the past four years,” says Darroch Ball co-leader of Sensible Sentencing Trust.

“The data shows in the second quarter of 2010 3,175 offenders were sentenced to intensive supervision with this number remaining relatively constant through to 2017.”

“However, the number started ballooning from 2017 where the second quarter of 2021 had more than 6600 offenders sentenced to intensive supervision – almost twice that of just four years earlier.”

“That says only one of two things – that there have been twice the number of medium to high-risk offenders committing crimes, or most likely, that the courts are now opting to put those offenders back into our community instead of into prison.”

“What is most telling is the fact that there has been a corresponding drop in the prison population as a focus for the government over that same exact time period – which cannot be a coincidence.”

“The fact that corrections’ community monitoring workload has doubled over just the past four years is concerning given their already stretched workforce being able to monitor all of these offenders.”

“Questions need to be asked about why this has occurred and where in the decision-making process it has changed so dramatically over the past four years,” says Mr Ball.

“It is clear that our communities have become less safe as a consequence of favouring putting offenders back on our streets.”

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