ACT Victims’ Register

The ACT Victims’ Register is a secure and confidential database held by ACT Corrective Services.

The register records the names and contact details of victims who have asked to be registered in order to receive information about an offender who is in prison or under the supervision of ACT Corrective Services. 

Information kept on the ACT Victims’ Register is used only for the purpose of contacting and informing a registered victim about a sentenced offender.  Information held on the ACT Victims’ Register is confidential and will not be released to others.  The ACT Victims’ Register is strictly controlled and access to it is limited to authorised staff.

Registration on the ACT Victims’ Register will ensure that you are invited to make a written submission to the ACT Sentence Administration Board if the offender for whom you are registered is being considered for release on parole or licence.

Who can register on the ACT Victims’ Register

You can be placed on the ACT Victims’ Register if:

▪ you have suffered physical injury, mental injury or emotional suffering (including grief), pregnancy, economic loss or a substantial impairment of rights accorded by law as a result of a criminal act committed against you by an offender; or

▪ you were financially or psychologically dependant on a person immediately before that person died as a direct result of a criminal act committed against them; or

▪ you have parental responsibility of a person under 15 years of age who was the victim of a criminal act.

You do not need to live in the the Australian Capital Territory to be included on the ACT Victims’ Register. 

As ACT prisoners are in NSW correctional centres, you will also be asked whether you wish to be placed on the NSW Victims’ Register.  Registration on the NSW Victims’ Register allows NSW Corrective Services to inform a registered victim directly of an offender’s unescorted leave, escape from custody or release in NSW. 

When can you register

You can register as soon as an offender is sentenced.  There is no time limit for when you can register.  You can register at any time provided the offender is still serving the sentence imposed for the offence in which you were a victim.  This includes the period in which the offender is subject to a parole order or licence.

What information is available to registered victims

If you are a registered victim of an offender who is serving a term of imprisonment, you may be informed of the following:

▪ the length of the sentence, the offender’s parole eligibility date and earliest release date;

▪ the correctional centre where the offender is detained and any transfer of the offender to another correctional centre;

▪ any change in an offender’s security classification which may result in the offender being eligible for unescorted leave;

▪ any unescorted leave given to the offender;

▪ the death, escape of or any other exceptional event relating to the offender.

If you are a registered victim of an offender who is serving a sentence by way of periodic detention or a community based order, you may, at the discretion of ACT Corrective Services, be informed of the following:

▪ the duration of the offender’s order;

▪ information about the place and time an offender may be required to report for periodic detention or community service work; and

▪ any non-association order or place restriction order that relates to the registered victim.

Limitations of the ACT Victims’ Register

If you have been placed on the ACT Victims’ Register you will only receive information about the offender who has committed a crime against you (or the person for whom you have been nominated to represent). 

Registration is valid until the completion of the term of the offender’s sentence that has been imposed in relation to the offence committed against you.  You cannot receive information about:

·       any unrelated sentences that the offender may be serving concurrently with the sentence imposed on the matter relating to you;

·       any sentence imposed on the offender after that person completes their sentence for the offence committed against you;

·       an offender’s prior criminal history;

·       any personal information about an offender.

The Victims' Register cannot be used to intervene with the management of prisoners.

You are not eligible to be placed on the Victims’ Register if the offender is a juvenile.

How do you register

If you would like to be registered on the Victims’ Register you need to complete an ACT Victims’ Register registration form and return it to:

                        The Victim Liaison Officer

                        ACT Corrective Services

                        GPO Box 158

                        Canberra  ACT  2601

Upon receipt of your registration form the Victim Liaison Officer will send you an information package about the ACT Victims’ Register.

If you have any enquiries regarding the ACT Victims’ Register please contact:

                        The Victim Liaison Officer

                        ACT Corrective Services

                        GPO Box 158

                        Canberra  ACT  2601

                        Telephone:  (02) 6207 0836

                        Facsimile:   (02) 6207 5246

                        Email:  victims.register@act.gov.au