Roebourne’s historic 1886 courthouse is once again servicing the community’s needs by becoming the new home for Roebourne’s Adult Community Corrections.
The courthouse was severely damaged by Tropical Cyclone Christine in 2013 and had been left abandoned until it was restored by minimum-security prisoners from Roebourne Work Camp.
The prisoners restored the original timber benches and panelling, completed landscaping and fixed fences saving taxpayer dollars and providing valuable skills and work experience.
Roebourne’s Adult Community Corrections will now use the office to monitor and service Department of Justice clients who come from across the Pilbara including remote communities and regional towns.
The community corrections team travel great distances to ensure community safety and that offenders are adhering to court orders, post sentence supervision requirements and other conditions as set by judicial officers or the Prisoner Review Board.
The new office also provides improved security and staff accommodation.
The McGowan Labor Government has allocated $5.5 million to hire 48 additional community corrections officers and managers across the State to help improve community monitoring of offenders.
A new position of Deputy Commissioner for Community Corrections and Offender Management has also been created to provide greater focus on managing offenders in the community.
As stated by Corrective Services Minister Francis Logan:
“The restoration of the old courthouse to once again become a key part of ensuring community safety is a fantastic achievement and I would like to congratulate everyone who helped make it happen.
“Not only have Roebourne Work Camp minimum-security prisoners gained valuable skills and experience, the town’s Adult Community Corrections now have a new office with improved security and accommodation.
“The McGowan Labor Government has allocated $5.5 million for hiring more community corrections officers across the State to help improve offender management, and a new position of Deputy Commissioner for Community Corrections and Offender Management will provide greater focus on this important area.”
