No consistent critical success factors and good practice standards for program administration were identified in the international research and practice literature other than having written home detention policies and procedures integrated into wider agency policies, including emergency/contingency plans, eg, for power outages, phone interruptions, etc.
Comparison:
Jurisdictions vary in aspects of program administration, including whether HD program administration is located with custodial or with community corrections and in the format for documenting program policy and procedural material.
Selected features of HD program administration
|
program location |
program staff |
|
|
NSW |
Probation and Parole Services |
dedicated function, Home Detention Unit officers; must have minimum of 2 years experience with Probation and Parole Service |
|
Vic |
Home Detention Unit Manager reports to General Manager Diversion and Transitional Services who reports directly to the Deputy Commissioner |
dedicated function, Home Detention Unit officers; qualifications as for general community corrections staff |
|
Qld |
Regional Managers of designated Community Correctional Centres are responsible to the Chief Executive for program operations |
not usually dedicated staff allocated to HD duties, although some centres with larger detainee populations may do so; qualifications as for general community corrections staff |
|
SA |
Case Management Coordinator (HD) reports to Manager Case Management; Manager Assessment (eligibility criteria and assessment); Regional Managers (operational management) |
dedicated function for HD officers in two units, with some cases (eg, in remote areas) managed by local community corrections officers |
|
ACT |
HD Unit is located at Symonston Remand Centre as part of the Rehabilitation Programs Unit; reporting to Community Corrections |
dedicated function, Home Detention Unit officers; qualifications as for general community corrections staff |
|
NT |
area based surveillance officers reporting to local area managers |
designated surveillance officers appointed on a casual basis monitor detainees but may also undertake other functions in some locations, eg, probation services functions |
|
NZ |
area based responsibility |
general case officer responsibility, although some officers may carry exclusive HD workload in some locations |
HD program documentation
|
HD specific program documentation |
includes emergency contingency plans* |
|
|
NSW |
HD sections within Intensive Supervision Training manual |
no |
|
Vic |
HD Program Standards document HD Commissioner’s Requirement |
some 1 |
|
Qld |
HD sections within Departmental procedures manual |
no |
|
SA |
HD Operational guidelines document |
no (separate Business Contingency Plan for EM) |
|
Act |
HD Policy and Procedures Manual |
no |
|
NT |
HD Policy Statement |
no (separate emergency management plan in event of cyclones) |
|
NZ |
HD sections within CPS Operations manual |
no (addressed in monitoring company documentation) |
* eg, in case of power outage for EM detainees or natural disasters, etc.
1 Vic: assessment process requires identification of alternative address in event of coresident consent withdrawal or other reason for being unable to continue to reside at the approved residence; general emergency procedures covered in separate documentation.