The Sentencing Advisory Council has released a new report examining cases in which someone has received a ‘combined order’ of both a term of imprisonment and a community correction order (CCO). A combined order involves the person first serving their sentence of imprisonment and then serving the remainder of their sentence in the community upon their release.
During the 9-year period from 2012 to 2020, there were 18,144 combined orders imposed in Victoria. The report finds that there has been a significant increase in combined orders over time, with about 3,000 now being imposed each year. Furthermore, as of 2020, almost half of all combined orders in the Magistrates' Court involve 'time served' prison sentences (49%), meaning the person has served all of their time in prison prior to sentencing.
Other key findings of the report include:
- combined orders represented 19% of all 95,000 CCOs imposed in Victoria
- most people who receive combined orders are male (90%)
- almost half of all combined orders are imposed in cases involving family violence (42%).
The report also finds that conditions of CCOs vary significantly in cases where a combined order is imposed - they have much higher rates of supervision and treatment. This is compared to cases where a CCO is imposed without a term of imprisonment - they have much higher rates of unpaid community work.
The report, Combined Orders of Imprisonment with a Community Correction Order in Victoria, is available for download from the Council's website.