14 Aug 2009

Probation staff managing parole cases better - Corrections

8:20 am on 14 August 2009

The rate of probation staff compliance with procedures for managing parolees has reached an all time high, the Corrections Department says.

The department reports a rate of 88% was achieved in June, which was up from 51% in September 2008.

In February, a critical Auditor General's report on the Probation Service concluded the department had ignored its own safety rules, mismanaged cases and appeared to be under-resourced.

Corrections Department managers measure how well rules are followed by probation service staff.

Probation Service general manager Katrina Casey says the improved result is due to better support for staff, simplified procedures and more effective training.

She says the improvement is significant as it's been achieved while the bulk of the additional 134 probation officers funded through this year's Budget are being recruited.