Presented by Robert Clark MP		www.robertclark.net

Police numbers, prison capacity and dependencies treatment raised in Budget

Police and correctional services have both received increased funding in the State Budget.

The State Budget has increased the police budget to $838 million, representing a 21% increase in real terms since 1992 when the operational budget was $581 million.

The additional police funding will result in an extra 400 operational police officers over the next two years. The Government has allocated $33.7 million over the next two years to introduce the new officers, with recurrent funding of $20.3 million thereafter.

The new officers will be complemented by an additional 800 recruits going through the police academy at Glen Waverley, boosting the number of cadets to 1200 in the next two years.

The Government’s commitment to law and order, together with courts responding to community concerns, has resulted in more offenders receiving jail sentences and an increased number remanded in custody.

The Budget will provide $3.6 million for the introduction and expansion of diversionary programs that will provide Magistrates with alternative non-custodial sentencing options.

Diversion programs have been designed to examine the causes of offending behavior and decrease the number of offenders receiving short custodial sentences. The programs aim to divert young offenders, especially those with drug problems, from becoming further involved in the correctional system.

New and expanded alternative sentencing options to imprisonment will include:

• Residential services for young adult offenders who would not otherwise be granted bail or would receive a short custodial sentence because of lack of alternative accommodation.
• Expansion of the CREDIT (Court Referral, Evaluation and Drug Intervention Treatment) Program whereby drug treatment is provided as part of the bail process to young people who would not otherwise be granted bail.
• Culturally appropriate programs for aboriginal offenders and Indo-Chinese offenders with drug problems.
• Extension of juvenile justice general group conferencing initiatives.