Home Detention Evaluation

In 2016 there were several legislative, policy and program changes to expand Home Detention (HD) provisions. These included:

  • Expanding Release Ordered Home Detention
  • Establishing a new sentencing option: Court Ordered (Sentenced) Home Detention.

To support offenders to successfully complete their home detention sentence, DCS developed the Home Detention Integrated Support Services Program (HISSP), which is delivered by OARS Community Transitions. HISSP provides individualised supports and services to offenders on home detention.

In 2017, to determine the potential impacts and improvements and improvements associated with these changes, DCS engaged the Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales (UNSW), to undertake an initial independent evaluation of the changes which concluded in March 2019.

In May 2020, DCS commissioned the same team of researchers to conduct a further evaluation of the changes, aiming to build on the earlier evaluation project and provide a longitudinal assessment of the impact of legislative and program changes.

UNSW have delivered four reports:

  • 2017 Evaluation
    • Baseline Analysis (2018)
    • Final Report (2019)
  • 2020 Evaluation
    • Report 1 (2021)
    • Final Report (2023)

All the reports can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.

Key findings in the 2023 Final Report include:

  • The HD Program resulted in a significantly lower number of participants breaching conditions and therefore a reduced rate of return to custody within the six-year follow-up period.
  • When compared to a sample of prisoners discharged from prison without an HD order, HD participants were significantly less likely to return to custody.
  • This has resulted in hundreds of thousands of prison bed nights avoided.
  • A higher number of days of HISSP support was associated with a lower rate of breaches among those who received high needs support packages.
  • HD participants are likely to benefit from improved life trajectories, for example an increased ability to retain housing and therefore a reduced risk of homelessness and reliance on homelessness services. These benefits can extend well beyond the program.
  • Finally, the HD program delivers a high level of cost effectiveness. Generating significant custodial cost offsets and additional cost offsets from prison time avoided for those with a reduced rate of return to custody.

    Documents

  • Download: Evaluation of SA Home Detention Research Report 1 – Baseline Analysis (520.7 KB PDF)
  • Download: Evaluation of Home Detention in South Australia - Final Report (1.6 MB PDF)
  • Download: Evaluation of HD in SA, Report 1 (3.4 MB PDF)
  • Download: Evaluation of HD in SA - Final Report - 20230216 CLEAN.pdf (1.9 MB PDF)