Helping Tasmanian prisoners reintegrate back into community

Elise Archer,Attorney-General and Minister for Corrections

The Tasmanian Government is committed to providing effective and sustainable rehabilitation and reintegration for Tasmanian prisoners.

A new joint initiative between the Tasmania Prison Service and the Monetary Penalties Enforcement Service has been launched to help prisoners pay outstanding fines with the aim of ensuring a smoother transition back into the community.

Many offenders who are imprisoned also receive significant fines as part of their sentence.

The Monetary Penalties Enforcement Service (MPES) and the Tasmania Prison Service (TPS) are trialling a pre-release system that allows offenders to set up regular payments that will come into effect upon release.

This system is designed to provide prisoners with a smoother reintegration into the community, relieving the stress of paying off fines with a reasonable payment plan.

Employability is enhanced when people avoid further consequences associated with failure to pay fines, such as driver’s licence and vehicle registration suspensions.

Prisoners will be able to speak with an MPES team member prior to their release to help them set up an affordable repayment arrangement.

This system strengthens the TPS’s existing reintegration arrangements, which already include a positive relationship with Centrelink and other service providers.

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