20.27.3 Status of Work Release programs as 'Imprisonment' for S23(2)

Work release programs are operated by most State Corrective Services Departments. They usually involve release of a prisoner during the day to undertake employment or training activities. In some cases, the prisoner may live, with some supervision, in a half-way house run by the Department or a non-Government agency.

Cases involving work release programs must be decided on their particular facts, including consideration of:

• the nature of the accommodation
• the level of supervision
• the degree of self-responsibility accorded the client
• financial responsibilities of the client for their board and lodging.