Shadow Attorney General and Shadow Minister for Justice, Greg Smith SC today said that the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research’s evaluation of circle sentencing showed it was time that the Iemma Government instituted a review of circle sentencing. 

“Today’s BOCSAR evaluation of circle sentencing shows that the Iemma Government’s program has failed to reduce the risk of re-offending by indigenous offenders,” Mr Smith said.

“Revelations that circle sentencing has failed to reduce the frequency, seriousness and time between offences is an obvious indictment of the program and shows the need for a review of circle sentencing and its operation in NSW,” he said.

“This report should be a wake up call to the Iemma Labor Government that they actually need to make the program a success before they call it a success.

“Mr Hatzistegos has been very happy to make his way around the State and extol the success of circle sentencing programs while the figures show that it has had no positive impact on rates of re-offending at all.

“NSW has the highest rate of recidivism in Australia and circle sentencing has done nothing to change that.

“It is imperative that the Iemma Government actually commits itself to lowering the rate of re-offending, especially amongst indigenous Australians.

“The Iemma Labor Government must commit to rehabilitating offenders and putting them on the straight and narrow. The best cure is always prevention.

“But with a Government that treats prisoner numbers like a tally board it is hard to imagine any substantial changes.

“The BOCSAR report shows that circle sentencing isn’t working, it is now the Iemma Labor Government’s responsibility to reassess the operation of the program, or work out other means of reducing indigenous re-offending,” Mr Smith said.