What the Tasmanian Liberals will do:

Making it mandatory for sex offenders to complete a sex offenders rehabilitation program before they are released from prison.

All convicted sex offenders must be required to undergo rehabilitation through a sex offenders’ treatment program before they are released from prison.

It is unfathomable why the State Government opposes this but after ten long years in office, Labor is completely out of touch with the community. People who have been sent to prison for sex crimes have actually been turned away from the sex offenders’ treatment program because the State Government considered them too “low risk”.

The Government has previously told the Tasmanian Liberals that it would cost approximately $10,000 per offender per annum to deliver a sex off ender treatment program and that there were approximately 70 sex offenders serving prison sentences.

This contrasts with data that showed the prevention of one rape saved the community $1.6 million in costs associated with the administration of justice, delivery of health and welfare services and victim impact costs.

We believe that mandatory participation by prisoners serving sentences for sex offences will be better for the community, and would encourage such prisoners not to reoffend.

We need to use all the tools available to protect society from this menace, and at the same time provide an opportunity for rehabilitation.