In South Australia prisoners are allowed to attend funerals according to similar criteria to those used in Western Australia; i.e. significant relationships, security and victim issues and if the prisoner is wanted at the funeral by the family or community. The cost is paid for by the Department of Correctional Service in South Australia.
In New South Wales prisoners are eligible to attend funerals subject to intelligence checks, consideration of victim issues, offence and term details and history. The costs are considered within the assessment but are covered by Corrective Services NSW.
Corrections Victoria pays for all costs associated with prisoners attending a funeral in Victoria.
In Queensland prisoners are eligible to apply to attend funerals with a specific procedure written for Indigenous prisoners. There is an approval and consultation process involving the relevant community. It considers among other factors the closeness of relationship and approval from the family to attend. However, the costs must be met by the prisoners, the family, the community or other approved sources. Supplemental government funding may be available under the Family Support Program.
Prisoners held in Northern Territory, or their families and communities, are required to meet the full cost of approved funeral attendances. The relationship with the deceased is assessed and must be either immediate family or a person of significance. The prisoner must also have a security rating of medium or lower to attend although there is provision for exceptional circumstances. The community must also agree to the prisoner’s attendance.
In terms of costs and potential savings, evidence as to actual expenditure on funeral attendance even within this state proved elusive. Significantly, the Department was also unable to provide any evidence to substantiate the claim that Western Australia spends relatively more than other jurisdictions.