Supervision is a rehabilitative community-based sentence which requires offenders to address the causes of their offending. Offenders can be sentenced to Supervision for between six months and two years.
When an offender has been convicted of an offence and is waiting to be sentenced, the Probation Officer will assess the person's offending needs and what sentence and programmes would be most suitable. If the offender is sentenced to Supervision, the information gained from the assessment may be included in the conditions of the Supervision sentence. An offender will have standard conditions as part of the sentence, and the judge may also impose special conditions to address the offender's offending needs.
Standard conditions include reporting to the Community Probation Service, any restrictions on living and work arrangements, and any restrictions on associating with people. Special conditions include participation in treatment, personal development or rehabilitative programmes and addressing any other issues which reduce the person's risk of re-offending.
Offenders sentenced to Supervision will report to a Probation Officer who will explain the requirements and conditions of the sentence, including how often they have to report to a Probation Officer. Probation Officers work with the offenders to address the causes of their offending behaviour. If offenders are not motivated to address these causes, Probation Officers will use their skills to increase the offender's motivation. As part of rehabilitation, offenders may have to attend rehabilitative programmes run by the Community Probation Service or by community groups. Probation Officers may also work with family, friends and colleagues of the offender.
In addition to a sentence of Supervision, the court may also sentence the offender to pay a fine, to pay reparation to the victims, or do unpaid work in the form of Community Work.
Enforcement of requirements
Probation Officers have to ensure that offenders on Supervision are completing all of the conditions of their sentence. If offenders are not meeting the requirements of the sentence, Probation Officers will take the offender back to court. If the offender is convicted for breaching or not meeting the requirements of the sentence, the court may impose up to three months imprisonment or a $1000 fine.
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.