ACT prison release checks too shallow, victims warn after murderer's bid
Crime victims say risk assessments in ACT's transitional release program are cursory exercises that leave dangerous offenders unsupervised.
When double murderer Scott McDougall applied for ACT's transitional release program last year, his victims' families were shocked. The program lets prisoners with one to two years left on their non-parole period apply for supervised leave to prepare for community life.
McDougall's application was rejected after public outcry, but it sparked a review. In August, ACT Corrective Services heard from 14 victim survivors who painted a bleak picture.
Risk assessments, they said, were treated as a "tick and flick" exercise, ticking boxes without real scrutiny. Their concerns: offenders could choose their own sponsors (often family), faced no electronic monitoring, and case managers were stretched too thin.
Victims also noted that prisoners convicted of murder or serving life sentences should not be allowed into the program at all. "The level of risk acceptable for a shoplifter should not be acceptable for a murderer," one document stated.
Two life-sentenced prisoners have been accepted into the program, though none were in it as of late September. Victims said they rarely heard from agencies, got contradictory information, and felt the system cared more about prisoners' rights than their safety.
Why it mattersIf risk assessments are too casual, dangerous offenders could reoffend before the system notices.
AustraliaThis affects safety in ACT; victims called for electronic monitoring similar to NSW rules and better liaison between Corrective Services and police.
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