The Post Sentence Authority is responsible for providing independent, rigorous monitoring of serious offenders on post sentence orders, and oversight of Victoria’s post sentence scheme.

The Post Sentence Authority has a dedicated website: www.postsentenceauthority.vic.gov.au (External link)

Role of the Post Sentence Authority

The role of the Post Sentence Authority is to provide independent oversight of the state’s post sentence scheme, which allows for the ongoing detention and supervision of serious sex and violent offenders who pose an unacceptable risk to the community after being released from prison.
The Post Sentence Authority is responsible for:

  • reviewing and monitoring the progress of offenders on supervision orders or detention orders
  • monitoring offender compliance with the conditions of supervision orders
  • giving directions and instructions to offenders, for example, a direction about where the offender can live
  • making recommendations to the Secretary to the Department of Justice and Community Safety about reviewing the conditions of supervision orders.
  • inquiring into alleged breaches of supervision orders and making recommendations to the Secretary to the Department of Justice and Community Safety about commencing legal proceedings against offenders.

The Post Sentence Authority replaced the Detention and Supervision Order Division of the Adult Parole Board on 27 February 2018.

Legislative mandate

The Post Sentence Authority is an independent statutory body established under the Serious Offenders Act 2018.

The legislation improves the protection of the community by allowing a court to order post sentence detention and supervision orders for offenders who have completed their sentence and present an unacceptable risk of harm to the community.

The Board of the Post Sentence Authority has jurisdiction over offenders subject to a detention or supervision order under the post sentence scheme.

Operation

Established in 2018, the Board meets regularly at its office in 50 Franklin Street, Melbourne, where it:

  • monitors the overall administration of the post sentence scheme
  • oversees the coordination of service delivery to offenders by government agencies
  • reports on the performance and administration of the post sentence scheme.

Membership

Members of the Board are appointed by the Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Minister for Corrections.

The Chairperson of the Board is a former Senior Crown Prosecutor and the First Head of the Specialist Sex Offence Unit in the Victorian Office of Public Prosecutions.