More Strict Monitoring To Support Strong Bail Laws

Hundreds more electronic monitoring devices have been rolled out to support tough new bail laws and ensure real time alerts are issued when bail conditions are breached.

The $8.1 million investment includes 220 additional devices which allow offenders' movements to be tracked 24/7, with dedicated Corrections staff available to respond to alerts which helps protect victims and the community.

It comes as laws introduced and passed by the State Government ensure people accused of serious offending have a tougher time getting bail and, if granted, are subject to stricter conditions.

This includes mandatory electronic monitoring for defendants granted bail on a charge of breaching a domestic violence-related intervention order through either physical violence or a threat of physical violence.

More than 700 adults on bail are currently subject to electronic monitoring (733) – an increase of 24 per cent over the past four years (589 adults in January 2021).

The number of young people subject to electronic monitoring at least once during a year increased 73 per cent (from 86 to 149 youths) between 2020-21 and 2023-24 with the vast majority of this monitoring linked to bail orders.

Increased use of electronic monitoring across both age groups has enabled breaches to be detected more effectively and can result in multiple breaches being recorded in a single incident.

Latest police statistics reveal those caught breaching their bail conditions – for defendants on either police or court-ordered bail – is up 7 per cent over the past 12 months, with 16,700 charges laid in 2024 comprising 13,960 adult offences and 2,734 youth offences. Note multiple offences can be recorded against one person.

Bail breach figures in previous years – adjusting for the COVID low seen in 2021 –remained steady, at just under 14,500 offences between 2019-2022.

South Australia has the highest rate of any state of adults on remand in prison – around 45 per cent of the prisoner population – because they did not receive bail.

The Government has moved to strengthen bail laws including courts having to consider the wider harm posed to children when determining bail for child exploitation material offences and ensuring defendants accused of state-based terrorism offences have a presumption against bail.

The State Government is also taking strong action to break the cycle of youth offending.

New measures include a multimillion-dollar upgrade to the Kurlana Tapa Youth Training Centre to improve rehabilitation, a $1 million commitment towards diverting Aboriginal children charged with minor offences from custody and connecting them with community-based support and early intervention programs for violent offending.

As put by Dan Cregan

Stronger laws and real-time monitoring ensure alleged offenders on bail face stricter conditions and community safety is prioritised.

The hard fact is we are requiring offenders to walk a narrower line on bail than governments before, especially where domestic violence is involved. Those who flout their bail conditions can expect to be caught and that is showing up in the data.

While reported crime over the past year continues to fall, we are detecting and finding those who breach bail more often using greater technology and other means.

This investment will better equip Corrections staff to detect breaches and provide round-the-clock monitoring.

The Government is committed to supporting victims while delivering the services required to break the cycle of offending as quickly and early as possible.

It is pleasing to see significant reductions in the numbers of bail breaches by some young offenders.

Table 1

Number of offences for Youths (0-17yrs) and Adults (18yrs +) charged with Breach of Bail in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Table 2

Top 20 accused by the greatest number of charges for Breach of Bail across 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Note: Offender's age recorded as the year they were born for consistency, as age at the time of the offence differs across the multiple years.