Victim information register – adult offenders
We inform eligible people about important events in the sentences of those adult offenders they have registered against, according to the Corrective Services Act 2006.
You can apply to be on the Queensland Corrective Services (QCS) victims register to be kept informed about the person if you meet the criteria of an ‘eligible person’ as detailed under Who is eligible.
Information is only given for offenders who:
- have been sentenced to an offence
- are ordered to a period of imprisonment for that offence
- are under the supervision of QCS (either in a correctional facility or supervised by Community Corrections).
Find out if you are eligible to register below.
If the offender is under 18, refer to the Youth Justice register.
Who is eligible
You can apply to be added to the register as an eligible person for an adult offender if you are:
- the actual victim of a violent or sexual offence that an adult offender either
- has been sentenced to a period of imprisonment for (unless it is a wholly suspended sentence)
- is a supervised dangerous prisoner sexual offender
- if the victim is deceased, an immediate family member of the victim of a violent or sexual offence
- the victim’s parent or guardian—if the victim of a violent or sexual offence is under 18 or has a legal incapacity
- a person who has been subject to domestic violence and the offender has been sentenced to a period of imprisonment for any offence.
You may also be considered for the victims register if you can demonstrate:
- a documented history of the offender’s violence against you (e.g. a current or expired domestic violence order)
- that your life or physical safety may be endangered by your connection to why the offender was imprisoned (e.g. if that person gave evidence against the offender in court).
Where the above eligibility criteria refers to an offender being convicted of a violent or sexual offence, please note:
- A violent offence is an offence where a victim suffers actual or threatened violence.
- A sexual offence is any of the offences listed in schedule 1 of the Corrective Services Act 2006.
Immediate family member
An immediate family member is the person's:
- spouse
- child or stepchild
- parent or step-parent
- brother, sister, step-brother, step-sister
- grandparent
- legal guardian.
In the case of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, extended family relationships may also be recognised.
Nominee
You may nominate another person to receive information about the offender on your behalf. This person is known as a nominee, and is usually a family member or friend.
You can also nominate a government or non-government agency to receive information on your behalf if that entity agrees. This may include support agencies such as domestic and family violence services, Community Justice Groups, legal representatives or government departments advocating on your behalf.
What kind of information is given
The victims register must provide information to a registered person about:
- the offender’s
- eligibility or actual date for discharge or release
- death or escape from custody
- any other circumstances relating to the offender that may endanger the eligible person’s life or physical safety, and the relevant date(s).
Information that may also be provided to an eligible person includes:
- the offender’s
- location
- security classification
- transfer between corrective services facilities
- length of term of imprisonment and any changes to the length
- the outcome of parole applications
- other exceptional events relating to the offender.
We also advise a registered person when the offender:
- applies for parole (other than exceptional circumstances parole)
- makes a request to change their name.
In these cases, we also give the registered person the relevant form to make a submission to the parole board or relevant delegate.
For those offenders who fall under the Dangerous Prisoners (Sexual Offenders) Act 2003, we also give registered people the form to make a submission to the Supreme Court.
Exceptional circumstances parole
We are not required to give registered people the chance to object when an offender applies for exceptional circumstances parole, but we will inform them if the offender’s request is granted.
If the eligible person wants to make a submission after the parole is granted, they can do this for the board’s consideration.
How to apply
Fill in a QCS victims register application form and send it to us by email or post.
Send a scanned copy of your completed form and a copy of your certified identification to victims.register@corrections.qld.gov.au.
Post
Post your completed form and a copy of your supporting identification documents to:
Queensland Corrective Services Victims Register
GPO Box 1054
BRISBANE QLD 4001
After you apply
Once we receive your completed application to register, we must check your eligibility under the legislation.
We may seek more information to help us review your application from:
- Queensland Police Service
- Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
- the Magistrates Court.
Outcome
Once an application has been approved and processed, you or your nominee will receive a letter from the QCS victims register confirming your registration as an eligible person.
This letter will tell you about the offender’s sentence, release and eligibility dates, as well as where they are incarcerated or supervised.
We will also write to you to advise of changes to the offender’s circumstances or status.
Confidentiality
We store the details of eligible people securely, and victims register records can only be accessed by a very limited number of QCS staff.
Offenders are not informed when a person is placed on the register, and we will not release information to anyone other than the eligible person or their nominee (unless required by the Corrective Services Act 2006, other legislation or a court order).
The information you receive
All information you receive from the QCS victims register must be treated confidentially. You and/or your nominee must not share this information for spreading to a public audience.
This means you cannot:
- give the information to any media outlet
- publish or upload information on any internet pages or message groups
- distribute the information on leaflets or brochures
- announce the information in a meeting.
Publicly sharing this information may cause your removal from the register, and other penalties according to the Corrective Services Act 2006.
You can give relevant confidential information (such as the prisoner’s discharge date) to a third party if it is for support or assistance, for example, from a domestic and family violence support service.
Blocking mail from prisoners
As an eligible person, you may ask for the offender you are registered against not to communicate with you in writing while they are in QCS custody. We will advise you how to do this once your application is approved.
Proximity searches
In certain circumstances, we will need to check that no registered persons are living close to the offender’s proposed address. This is called a proximity search.
We are asked to do a proximity search when a relevant offender:
- applies to
- travel interstate
- transfer their parole order interstate
- change their address when supervised in the community
- is considered for transfer to a work camp in the community
- needs to have an accommodation risk assessment considered by the parole board before release.
We will not disclose the name or address of a registered person during this process; we will simply advise if there is information to offer and the proximity of the proposed address.
While on the register, notify us as soon as possible if your residential address changes.
Contact us
1800 098 098 (business hours, 8am to 5pm)
victims.register@corrections.qld.gov.au