Social workers and post sentence detention and supervision : a critical view

In common with other western countries, many Australian state governments have passed legislation which enables the detention of certain offenders beyond the sentence imposed by the courts when they are assessed as posing a high risk of reoffending. New South Wales (NSW) has recently extended this power to offenders convicted of offences of violence and who may also have been assessed as having a high risk of reoffending. In other states the power is restricted to sex offenders.