Magistrate blasts probation

A TOWNSVILLE magistrate has slammed the state of probation orders in the Burdekin, declaring them a “waste of time”.

Magistrate Ross Mack made the comments while sentencing a Burdekin man in the Ayr Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

“Probation, regrettably is a waste of everyone’s time at the moment … because they are simply so starved of resources,” Mr Mack said. “All this money being spent on a number of things but nothing on behavioural change.”

Corrective Services Minister Mark Ryan said the Government had delivered sweeping reforms to Queensland’s corrections system. “Those comments are disappointing and I disagree with them,” Mr Ryan said.

“This year the Government delivered a record Correctional Services budget.”

Burdekin MP Dale Last said more resources needed to be directed towards probation and parole.

“Even the magistrates and members of the judiciary are coming out and acknowledging that not enough resources are being provided around supervising offenders,” Mr Last said.

“This Labor Government needs to provide the necessary additional funding and support to probation and parole to ensure these offenders are being supervised appropriately and in accordance with the direction of the court.”

Mr Ryan said the Government was in the process of implementing recommendations made in the Queensland Parole System Review Report, of which 89 of the 91 recommendations were supported.

“The End to End Case Management Project was also established in 2019 to support the implementation of a number of fundamental reforms arising out of the QPSR,” he said.

“This is a significant and important milestone for Queensland Corrective Services.

“These reforms aim to boost community safety, break the cycle of reoffending and make a real difference in people’s lives and to the criminal justice system.”