NCJ Number
209481
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 67 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2005 Pages: 28,29,31
Date Published
April 2005
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article describes New Zealand’s Extended Supervision program in the managing of high-risk offenders in the community under intensive supervision with a specific focus on sex offenders in the community.
Abstract
With the emphasis on public safety and security of victims and communities, probation departments are examining their supervision approaches to high-risk offenders. The New Zealand Department of Corrections’ mission is to contribute to safer communities by ensuring the safe and secure containment of inmates and a safe environment for staff and the public. In addressing the supervision of high-risk offenders, an amendment to the parole act was enacted in 2004 creating the Extended Supervision Order. The Extended Supervision Order is aimed at managing the long-term risks posed by child sex offenders in the community. It enabled the New Zealand probation service to monitor medium-high and high-risk sexual offenders for up to 10 years following release from prison. In addition, the highest-risk offenders can be placed under home detention-like conditions for the first year of the order. A key component in managing high-risk offenders is information-sharing. Specific legislation was passed to allow information-sharing among key agencies about all child sex offenders serving a sentence in the community. The key to successful outcomes for high-risk offenders in the community are legislative authority, assessment, appropriate programs, and enforcement procedures.