OARS Offenders Aid And Rehabilitation Services Of S.A. Inc.

OARS SA Patron, His Excellency Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce, AC CSC RANR, Governor of South Australia, officially opened our new OARS office at Murray Bridge. The event went very smoothly and the Governor was warm and generous in his praise of our work. The Murray Bridge Branch and the OARS SA staff and volunteer workers at Murray Bridge were also congratulated by me for their outstanding work and commitment to services in the region. The organisation of the event was flawless. The Murray Bridge Branch members put on a fantastic afternoon tea and a great time was had by all. The Governor is very interested in our work and his understanding of, and empathy with, the issues and problems we face working alongside the criminal justice system was very encouraging to all in attendance. The opening was supported by the presence of the Deputy Mayor of the Rural Council of Murray Bridge, Phil Nutt, and CEO David Altmann, colleagues and stakeholders from the local community, and most importantly, OARS SA staff and local Branch volunteers.

12/11/2008 OARS SA CEO Leigh Garrett spoke at length on Radio 5RPH about the recent report on Incarceration.

7/11/2008 OARS SA held its 121st Annual General Meeting today at the Rydges South Park. Karen Grogan the Executive Director of SACOSS addressed the audience and summarised the report "Incarceration : Unsustainable costs and Diminishing Returns". The audience was completely engrossed as Karen outlined the costs associated with current Government policy of increased imprisonment. She highlighted the possible negative health impacts of imprisonment. A very conservative estimate shows that the costs of incarceration are likely to double in the next 10 years. The full report is available here. The Board of OARS SA was also elected and the Board will comprise Meredith Newman, Annabel Shinkfield, Aileen Dawson, Robert van Buuren, Russell Jamison, Professor Rick Sarre and Tom Kelsey. The OARS SA Annual Report for 2007-08 can be downloaded here. Annual Report The CEO Annual Report Commentary can be found here.

6/11/2008 OARS SA has released its report called "Incarceration : Unsustainable costs and Diminishing Returns" Find the Report here!