Home Detention is a community-based order that allows an offender to serve part of their prison sentence at home or at an approved place of residence. Offenders live at home under electronic surveillance and receive intensive supervision by a Probation Officer.
Home Detention allows offenders to maintain family relationships, keep working or actively looking for work, and attend rehabilitative programmes designed to address the causes of their offending.
Applying for Home Detention
Offenders who are subject to a prison sentence of less than two years can, if the sentencing judge allows it, apply to the New Zealand Parole Board to serve their sentence on Home Detention. Offenders sentenced to prison sentences longer than two years can also apply to be released on Home Detention three months prior to their parole eligibility date. Home Detention is available in most parts of New Zealand.
Once an application for Home Detention is made, the Community Probation Service prepares a report for the Board on the offender's suitability and how he or she will be managed while on Home Detention. This report examines the offender's risk to the public, their motivation to change their behaviour, their risk of re-offending, the suitability of the proposed residence, and any comments from victims. The Probation Officer discusses Home Detention with the family or other people who live at the address. The Probation Officer will inform these residents of the offender's past and present convictions and seek their consent before an offender is released to Home Detention. The Probation Officer will also investigate what employment and programmes are available for the offender.
The New Zealand Parole Board considers the report on the offender's suitability for Home Detention and makes the decision on the offender's application. Approved offenders sentenced to less than two years will be released from Home Detention automatically after half of their sentence. For offenders sentenced to more than two years, the Board will decide the length of the Home Detention order.
If the offender fails to meet the conditions of Home Detention, the Probation Officer may take the offender back to court or apply to the New Zealand Parole Board to have the offender sent back to prison.
Monitoring offenders
Offenders on Home Detention are subject to electronic monitoring. Each offender wears an anklet that continuously emits a signal to a monitor while they are at home. If the offender tries to remove the anklet or leaves the property without permission an alarm is triggered and a security guard is dispatched to the house.
The offender receives security checks from the security guards responsible for the electronic monitoring and is also subject to security checks while on approved absences from the home.
While on Home Detention, offenders are subject to intensive supervision by a Probation Officer. This includes a minimum of three visits per week for the first half of the Home Detention order.
Addressing offending needs
Offenders may have set conditions as part of their release on Home Detention. These conditions may cover where the offender can work, with whom they can associate and the rehabilitative activities or programmes which the offender has to attend. Probation Officers work with the offenders to address the causes of their offending behaviour. If offenders are not motivated to address these issues, Probation Officers will work with the offenders to increase their level of motivation.
Offenders can work while they are on Home Detention, but only as authorised by the Probation Officer. Offenders who are not working can apply to the Department of Work and Income for the appropriate benefit and may be expected to actively seek employment.
The Community Probation Service provides the court with information to assist judges with their sentencing decisions and manages people who are on community-based sentences and orders. Community-based sentences and orders include: Supervision, Community Work, Home Detention, Release from prison on conditions and Parole. Offenders on community-based sentences and orders have to meet the requirements of their sentence and may have to attend rehabilitative programmes which address their offending needs.