Hon Anne Tolley
Minister of Corrections
17 January 2014Media Statement
Extended Supervision Orders to be expanded
Corrections Minister Anne Tolley says that legislation is to be introduced which will allow Extended Supervision Orders
(ESOs) for child sex offenders to be expanded beyond their current maximum ten-year time frame for those who pose a high
risk of serious reoffending.
ESOs will also be extended to include the management of high risk sex offenders and very high risk violent offenders.
The first ten-year ESOs handed down to child sex offenders are scheduled to run out in 2015, after which, under the
current system, Corrections will have no ability to manage these offenders in the community.
Under the new enhanced system, the ESOs could be renewed for as long as they are needed, with regular mandatory review
by the courts.
“We want to do as much as we can to keep our communities safe and to protect the public from harm,” says Mrs Tolley.
“Corrections need to be able to continue the management of a small number of high risk child sex offenders for as long
as necessary beyond the ten-year limit, and this legislation will enable that.
“It will also allow us to expand the scope of ESOs to include a small number of high risk sex offenders against adults,
as well as very high risk violent offenders.
“If these offenders still pose a risk at the end of a sentence or order, then Corrections needs the ability to manage
them appropriately.”
An ESO is made by the court under application from Corrections for a term of up to ten years for offenders who have
reached the end of their sentence. The Parole Board then imposes special conditions relating to the offender’s
management, for example relating to residence, employment, association and exclusion zones under GPS tracking.
With legislative change, courts would be able to renew orders on an ongoing basis, if warranted, and Corrections will be
able to apply to the court to impose a new order at any time for child sex offenders, with mandatory review by the
courts every five years.
These changes will require amendments to the Parole Act 2002.
ENDS