Intensive correction orders

An Intensive Correction Order (ICO) is a sentence of up to 4 years served in the community instead of in custody. They have core conditions the offender must comply with.

The court issues Intensive Corrections Orders and ACT Corrective Services supervises them.

The Sentence Administration Board (SAB) make decisions about:

• breaches of Intensive Correction Order conditions
• reinstating cancelled Intensive Correction Orders.

Breaches of Intensive Correction Orders

ACT Corrective Services will tell the us, the Sentence Administration Board, about any alleged breach of an Intensive Correction Order. They will send us a written report explaining what happened.

A police officer may arrest you if they think you have breached your Intensive Correction Order.

A judge or magistrate may issue a warrant for your arrest if they think you have breached or may breach a condition of your Intensive Correction Order.

We must first decide if the alleged breaches took place:

• we will hold a hearing about the possible breach as soon as possible
• you must attend your breach hearing
• if you do not attend we may issue a warrant for your arrest.

Read more about hearings held by the Sentence Administration Board.

If the breaches are proved, we can:

• give you a warning about complying with the conditions of the order
• suspend your order so you go into custody. It will be for 3 days if you admit the breach, or 7 days if you do not
• cancel your order so you go into custody
• refer you to a court to change the order if you cannot comply with it. For example, because of ill health you cannot finish your community service.

We cannot change or add conditions to an Intensive Correction Order, the court must do this.

Cancelling an Intensive Correction Order

If we cancel your Intensive Correction Order you will go into custody.

You must serve the rest of your sentence in custody, but you can apply to have your Intensive Correction Order reinstated.

If you are in the community when your Intensive Correction Order is cancelled, you must hand yourself in to the police. Your sentence will be extended by the number of days it takes for you to hand yourself in or until you are arrested.

If you commit an offence that is punishable by imprisonment a court must cancel your Intensive Correction Order, unless it decides that is not in the interests of justice.

Apply to have an Intensive Correction Order reinstated

If your Intensive Correction Order is cancelled, you can apply to us to have it reinstated.

We may reinstate your Intensive Correction Order if:

• you have served at least 30 days full-time detention after your order was cancelled
• we are satisfied that you will comply with your order
• we have considered an assessment of your suitability by ACT Corrective Services

You will be released if we decide to reinstate your Intensive Correction Order.

If we decide not to reinstate your order, you have to wait 6 months from the day of our decision to reapply, unless you believe there are exceptional circumstances.

Read more

Read more about serving a community-based sentence.