The Minns Labor Government will today introduce legislation to the NSW Parliament significantly reforming the state\u2019s victims registers to ensure victim-survivors of serious crimes receive a mandatory notification about their right to sign up as a registered victim-survivor, to receive critical information about an offender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The three NSW victims registers include the Corrective Services NSW Victims Register, Youth Justice Victims Register, and Specialist Victims Register for victims of forensic patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those who opt-in to the registers will receive timely, accurate and trauma-informed updates regarding the perpetrator\u2019s progress through the custodial system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This may include details about the offender’s location, sentence, parole eligibility, and any changes that may affect the victim’s safety and well-being. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Registered victim-survivors also have the right to make a submission about an offender\u2019s parole where relevant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over several months, Corrective Services NSW has hosted consultation meetings with victim-survivors, victim advocates, and victim support services to ensure these changes reflect the views of the people the registers serve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eligible victims of serious offenders will receive a mandatory notification letting them know about the relevant register and their eligibility to opt-in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If victim-survivors do not want to make a decision at the time, they will have the option to be contacted at a later date to discuss the benefits of registration and decide whether they would like to be registered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Generally, the serious offenders that will cause a mandatory notification about the victims registers to be sent to a victim-survivor or family member will be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Family members of the victim will be notified if the victim is deceased, incapacitated or under the age of 18.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ensuring victim-survivors continue to have the choice to register is considered to strike the appropriate balance between ensuring that victim-survivors are aware of their right to be on the register, while importantly maintaining victims\u2019 choice and avoiding re-traumatisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Minns Labor Government acknowledges the severe impacts for people directly or indirectly exposed to crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A person who has experienced personal violence can suffer long-lasting trauma and the feeling that their safety and security are under threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is for this reason that the Minns Labor Government has begun these important reforms to the three victims registers to bolster support for victim-survivors of serious crimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Minister for Corrections Anoulack Chanthivong:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese reforms are about ensuring that victim-survivors of serious crimes know about the victims registers and have a clear opportunity to sign up and benefit from being registered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have listened to the voices of victim-survivors, and we are responding to their call to improve the system, whilst balancing the critical need to avoid re-traumatising those victim-survivors who do not wish to be re-exposed to the heinous crimes of their offenders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSigning up to the victims registers will allow victim-survivors to receive vital information and a choice to engage in fundamental legal processes that will have a direct impact on their lives \u2013 things like opposing the perpetrator\u2019s parole and being informed if they are going to be released from prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo-one chooses to become the victim of a violent crime, and that is why the Minns Labor Government is doing everything within our power to support and empower victim-survivors in the aftermath of a crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEligible victim-survivors of serious offenders deserve the choice to be on the victims registers and be given the knowledge and agency to engage with the justice system, ensuring no-one is left behind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Attorney General Michael Daley:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCommunity safety is at the heart of this reform allowing victim-survivors to be aware of, and to opt-in to receive important updates about an offender\u2019s sentencing and parole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is important to help victim-survivors engage in the legal process in a way that is empowering and promotes recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Corrective Services NSW Commissioner Gary McCahon PSM:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCorrective Services NSW works tirelessly to support victim-survivors through the CSNSW Victims Register. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur highly trained, trauma-informed staff have seen first-hand the impact that good communication can have on the healing process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFrom the moment an offender enters custody, we keep registered victim-survivors up-to-date on all significant information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe can also assist victim-survivors to have their voices heard when important decisions are being made regarding an offender\u2019s release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur aim is to give victim-survivors back some of the power they lose when they are exposed to crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA person who has experienced personal violence can suffer long-lasting trauma and the feeling that their safety and security are under threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKnowing that information will be made available at key milestones, particularly around the timing of release to the community, can provide reassurance to those victim-survivors who wish to receive such information and help them to better plan for their safety.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Victims Advocate Howard Brown OAM:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese reforms will ensure that victim-survivors of serious crimes will now have knowledge and information about the victims registers, and the opportunity to sign up to them if they choose to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe victims registers are able to provide the kind of information that victim-survivors may feel that they need to be able to take back control of their lives, sometimes many years after a serious crime has been committed against them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaximising free and full access to such a vital resource like the victims registers is a major step toward healing for victim-survivors.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Minns Labor Government will today introduce legislation to the NSW Parliament significantly reforming the state\u2019s victims registers to ensure victim-survivors of serious crimes receive a mandatory notification about their right to sign up as a registered victim-survivor, to receive critical information about an offender. The three NSW victims registers include the Corrective Services NSW … Continue reading “Minns Labor Government to reform Victims Registers to ensure victim-survivors of serious crimes receive mandatory notification”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nswnews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32578","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32578"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32578\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32579,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32578\/revisions\/32579"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32578"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}