OFFICIAL

Dear Joanna

Thank you for your email, which was received by the Attorney-General's
Department (the department) on 20 May 2022. In your email you have
requested:

‘(1) the number of grant(s) of parole to Commonwealth offenders in the
last ten years;

(2) the number of refusal(s) of Commonwealth parole release in the last
ten years; and

(3) the number of Commonwealth offenders who have been released at their
full-time date without parole in the last ten years.

Please note this does not include consideration of release for offenders
who meet s.19ALB(2) of the Crimes Act 1914.’

In order for the department to process your email as a valid FOI request,
we require the following information from you:

•             Please confirm in writing that your request is an
application for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI
Act).

•             Your request, as currently drafted, seeks statistical
information about Commonwealth offenders and parolees. The right of access
under the FOI Act is to documents, not information (section 11). The FOI
Act does not generally require an agency to make available information
that is not in documentary form, nor to collect information to create a
new document. Agencies are also not obliged to research information – the
obligation is only to provide access to existing documents.

To make a valid FOI request, you must provide sufficient information to
enable a responsible officer of the agency or the minister to identify the
document that is requested.

As such, for the purposes of section 15 of the FOI Act, can you please
confirm our understanding that you are seeking ‘documents in the
possession of the department that provide statistical information about:

(1) the number of grant(s) of parole to Commonwealth offenders in the last
ten years;

(2) the number of refusal(s) of Commonwealth parole release in the last
ten years; and

(3) the number of Commonwealth offenders who have been released at their
full-time date without parole in the last ten years.’

Please note, the department is unable to take further action in response
to your email of 20 May 2022 until the additional information requested
above has been received.

Yours sincerely

Claire

FOI Case Officer

Freedom of Information and Privacy Section | Strategy and Governance
Branch

Attorney-General’s Department

T: 02 6141 6666| E: [AGD request email]

show quoted sections

Your email has been received by the Freedom of Information and Privacy
Section of the Attorney-General's Department. Please note that we will
only action and respond to FOI requests and other matters relating to the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act). For information on how to
make an FOI request please refer to the FOI page on the department's
website at:
[1]https://www.ag.gov.au/rights-and-protect....

If your email relates to the FOI Act, we will contact you shortly to
acknowledge and/or respond to your request. Please do not send duplicate
emails as this may cause delays in response time-frames.

For matters not relating to the Freedom of Information Act 1982, please
refer to the 'Contact us' page on the department's website at:
[2]https://www.ag.gov.au/about-us/connect-u...

If you have received this transmission in error please notify us
immediately by return e-mail and delete all copies. If this e-mail or any
attachments have been sent to you in error, that error does not constitute
waiver of any confidentiality, privilege or copyright in respect of
information in the e-mail or attachments.

References

Visible links
1. https://www.ag.gov.au/rights-and-protect...
2. https://www.ag.gov.au/about-us/connect-u...

Dear Joanna

I refer to your request under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI
Act) received by the Attorney-General's Department for access to the
following documents:

documents in the possession of the department that provide statistical
information about:

(1) the number of grant(s) of parole to Commonwealth offenders in the last
ten years;

(2) the number of refusal(s) of Commonwealth parole release in the last
ten years; and

(3) the number of Commonwealth offenders who have been released at their
full-time date without parole in the last ten years.

Consultation

Preliminary searches undertaken of the department records indicate that
the terms of your request in its current form is broad and would require
extensive searching of the department’s holdings. Given this, it would
substantially and unreasonably divert the resources of this department
from its other operations due to its size and the broadness of its scope.

Before the department considers undertaking formal consultation with you
under section 24AA of the FOI Act, the department would like to give you
the opportunity to consider the terms of your request. For example, if
you were to limit the timeframe of your request to the last two to three
years, this will allow the department to process your request.

Please provide your response to the department as soon as possible but no
later than Tuesday, 7 June 2022.

Should you have any questions, please contact me on (02) 6141 6666 or at
[1][AGD request email]

Yours sincerely

Euphrasia

FOI Officer

show quoted sections

Dear Joanna

Freedom of Information Request FOI22/107

I refer to your request to the Attorney-General's Department (the
department) under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) for access
to documents.

Your revised request is for:

documents in the possession of the department that provide statistical
information about:

(1) the number of grant(s) of parole to Commonwealth offenders in the last
four years;

(2) the number of refusal(s) of Commonwealth parole release in the last
four years; and

(3) the number of Commonwealth offenders who have been released at their
full-time date without parole in the last four years.

If you disagree with this interpretation of your request, please let me
know in writing as soon as possible.

The department received your initial inquiry on 20 May 2022. The
department contacted you to assist you make a valid request under the FOI
Act.

The department acknowledges a valid FOI request was received from you on
24 May 2022 and the 30 day statutory period for processing your request
commenced from the day after that date. You should therefore expect a
decision from us by 23 June 2022. However, the period of 30 days may be
extended if the department needs to consult third parties or for other
reasons. We will advise you if this happens.

The department's practice is to not disclose personal information of staff
of the department and other government authorities, where that information
is not publicly known or routinely disclosed (e.g. names of junior
officers and contact information). The names of senior officers will
generally be disclosed. In addition, duplicates and incomplete email
chains within the scope of the FOI request will be excluded.

Please note that, with some exceptions (such as personal information),
documents released under the FOI Act may later be published online on the
department's disclosure log
[1]http://www.ag.gov.au/RightsAndProtection....

If you have any questions, please contact me by telephone on (02) 6141
6666 or by email to [2][AGD request email].

Yours sincerely

Claire

FOI Case Officer

Freedom of Information and Privacy Section | Strategy and Governance
Branch

Attorney-General’s Department

T: 02 6141 6666| E: [3][AGD request email]

When you make a request for documents or an inquiry about privacy matters,
the Attorney-Generals Department will only collect your personal
information where it is reasonably necessary for, or directly related to,
our functions under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 or the Privacy Act
1988. We may collect your name, email address and telephone number so that
we can contact you about your request under the Freedom of Information Act
for access to documents or access to, or correction of, personal
information; or a complaint you have made or your request for access to,
or correction of, personal information under the Privacy Act. If your
request concerns your personal information, we will collect the minimum
amount of evidence necessary to verify your identity. The handling of your
personal information is protected by the Privacy Act 1988 and our privacy
policy is available at http://www.ag.gov.au/Pages/Privacystatem....
If you have an enquiry or complaint about your privacy, please contact the
Privacy Contact Officer on 02 6141 2660 or via e-mail [email address].
If you have received this transmission in error please notify us
immediately by return e-mail and delete all copies. If this e-mail or any
attachments have been sent to you in error, that error does not constitute
waiver of any confidentiality, privilege or copyright in respect of
information in the e-mail or attachments.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.ag.gov.au/RightsAndProtection...
2. mailto:[AGD request email]
3. mailto:[AGD request email]

OFFICIAL

Dear Joanna

Freedom of Information Request FOI22/107

I refer to your request to the Attorney-General's Department (the
department) under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) for access
to documents.

The purpose of this email is to provide you with a decision in response to
that request. 

Please find attached:

·         decision letter, including:

o review rights,
o schedule of documents, and

·         document.

If you have any questions, please contact me by telephone on (02) 6141
6666 or by email to [1][AGD request email].

Yours sincerely

Claire

FOI Case Officer

Freedom of Information and Privacy Section | Strategy and Governance
Branch

Attorney-General’s Department

T: 02 6141 6666| E: [2][AGD request email]

OFFICIAL

When you make a request for documents or an inquiry about privacy matters,
the Attorney-Generals Department will only collect your personal
information where it is reasonably necessary for, or directly related to,
our functions under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 or the Privacy Act
1988. We may collect your name, email address and telephone number so that
we can contact you about your request under the Freedom of Information Act
for access to documents or access to, or correction of, personal
information; or a complaint you have made or your request for access to,
or correction of, personal information under the Privacy Act. If your
request concerns your personal information, we will collect the minimum
amount of evidence necessary to verify your identity. The handling of your
personal information is protected by the Privacy Act 1988 and our privacy
policy is available at http://www.ag.gov.au/Pages/Privacystatem....
If you have an enquiry or complaint about your privacy, please contact the
Privacy Contact Officer on 02 6141 2660 or via e-mail [email address].
If you have received this transmission in error please notify us
immediately by return e-mail and delete all copies. If this e-mail or any
attachments have been sent to you in error, that error does not constitute
waiver of any confidentiality, privilege or copyright in respect of
information in the e-mail or attachments.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[AGD request email]
2. mailto:[AGD request email]