The Victim Services Unit in the Department for Correctional Services maintains a Victim Register.

Who can register as a victim?

To register as a victim, you must show that you are the victim of a criminal offence and the offender against whom you wish to register is either under the supervision of the Department for Correctional Services (on a community service order or bond) or in custody.

If you are unsure whether you can register, speak to someone at the Victim Service Unit (telephone 8226 9067or 8226 9704).

What information could I access?

Once registered, you will be entitled to information about the offender, inlucing:

See Correctional Services Act 1982 (SA) s 85D(1).

How do I register?

If the offender is in custody, you should fill out a Victims' Register Registration Form (opens new window).

A decision by the Chief Executive of the Department for Correctional Services as to whether you can register and receive information is final and cannot be reviewed by a court [see Correctional Services Act 1982 (SA) s 85D(5)].

Can I have a say?

As a registered victim, you will be invited to make submissions to the Parole Board when the prisoner:

The Parole Board must take into account the impact the release of the prisoner may have on any registered victims (including in the case of a prisoner serving a life sentence- a victim other than a registered victim, and the victim’s family) [see Correctional Services Act 1987 (SA) s 67(4)(ca); 67(4)(cb) and 68(2)(ca)].

Information as to the impact may be provided to the Board by the registered victim, other victim or family member (as the case requires) or on their behalf by the Commissioner for Victim’s Rights.

The Youth Justice Victims Register, administered by the Department of Human Services (DHS), is established under section 5A of the Young Offenders Act 1993 (SA).

Who can register?

A person may apply to be registered on the Youth Justice Victims Register if they are a victim of a crime committed by a young person (aged 10-17 at the time of the offence) where the young person has been sentenced to detention or imprisonment.

If the victim is not alive or available, an immediate family member of the victim can apply to be placed on the register instead. If the victim is under 18 years of age, information can be given to a parent, guardian, or person helping them.

DHS cannot register a person on the Youth Justice Victims Register if they are a victim of a crime where a young person has not yet been sentenced or where the young person has received a sentence other than detention or imprisonment.

What information can be provided to registered victims?

Victims registered on the Youth Justice Victims Register can find out:

Victims on the register can also give information to the Training Centre Review Board if it is considering a young person’s transfer or release.

How do I register?

There are a number of ways to apply for the Youth Justice Victim Register.

Fill in the Youth Justice Victims Registration Form online, or download and complete the form and return it by email or post. You can also register by telephoning the Youth Justice Victims Register Officer on (08) 8463 6488. See the Department of Human Services website for more information.

You can contact the Youth Justice Victims Register Officer by phone on (08) 8463 6488 or email at YouthJusticeVictimsRegistration@sa.gov.au to discuss your eligibility.

Confidentiality

A registered victim's contact information will be kept safe and confidential. It will not be used for any purpose.

The identity or registration of a victim will never be given to the young offender/s.

Approval Process

Applicants will be notified in writing about the outcome of their application.

What happens next?

Registered victims will be provided with relevant updates via their preferred contact method (phone, text, email or letter), which can be selected when applying.

If the matter is urgent, we will contact the registered victim by telephone.

DHS makes every effort to contact registered victims to keep them up to date with information that has been requested about the young offender/s. It is important that the registered contact details remain up to date.

Registered victims are encouraged to nominate an alternative contact person if DHS is unable to make contact directly with the registered victim.