You can call in outstanding warrants and fines when you are in prison. If you plan on doing this, the sooner you do it the better it will be. Ask the prison staff for a form titled “Information – Sheriffs Warrants” on which you write your name and CRN to request your infringement warrants be called in. Once you fill out this form the prison will send it to the Sheriff’s Office to be dealt with. It will take some time for the Sheriff’s Office to get back to you – this is why you should put in the form as soon as possible.
You should ask for a photocopy of the form and keep it. If you need some help filling out the form then ask your case worker – that is what they are there for. You can also ask another prisoner to help, or put down to see Legal Aid and ask them to help. It is possible for outstanding warrants and fines to be converted into days in prison. As you are here now anyway, a few more days is not going to make much difference.
Served cumulatively
When outstanding warrants and fines are converted into days in prison, they usually go on top of your minimum term so you will do longer inside. The Court can order the days to be concurrent, but you should not count on that happening. You can also ask for a community-based order or for time to pay. You need to say what is best for you.
No seizable assets
Warrants for fines have a set number of days in prison for the amount you were fined. But, the Sheriff’s Office cannot automatically convert the warrants into days. First the Sheriff’s Office needs to make sure that you have no assets they can take to pay the fine. Once they establish you have no assets, like a car, then it is possible to have the fines converted into days in prison.
Further information
This fact sheet contains general information only and is not a substitute for obtaining legal advice. If you would like advice regarding a specific problem please contact one of the legal services listed in contacts or contact the Law Institute of Victoria’s Legal Referral Service on 9607 9311.