- Compassionate leave, which includes leave to attend funerals and visit dangerously ill relatives, is necessary for people in custody to meet cultural obligations and stay connected to their families.
- Fewer adults in custody are accessing compassionate leave than during our last review in October 2013.
- Aboriginal people have been most affected by the decline in compassionate leave.
- Minimal improvements to accessing compassionate leave have been made since our last review with policy changes only addressing part of one recommendation previously made.
- Approval decisions continue to be inconsistent.
- The Department still does not know how much it is spending on compassionate leave.
- Only eight young people accessed compassionate leave in 2015.
- Good practices for young people accessing compassionate leave have been formalised.
- As of March 2017 contractors will no longer be undertaking transports of young people which is likely to reduce access to compassionate leave.