Appropriations Debate: Corrections

In the 2023-2024 budget, the ACT government announced funding for an electronic monitoring feasibility study for offenders. Additional funding for staffing was also announced. This will be the government’s third attempt to introduce electronic monitoring. Where many developed countries and every other Australian jurisdiction has succeeded in implementing a long running electronic monitoring program, the ACT government has failed twice. The reintegration centre continues to be delayed. It was announced and funded years ago but only just now is the government beginning to actually plan for it.

Despite the multiple recruiting rounds for corrections officers in the past few years, our prison continues to be understaffed resulting in over 6 million dollars of overtime payments in just the last two years. That is equal to 88% of what was spent in overtime payments over the past four years. While some amount of overtime will always be needed to cover colleagues on sick leave or on holiday, the sheer amount being spent is enormous. Large amounts of overtime can harm the mental health, personal lives and personal relationships of workers. This is especially true in a prison environment where time away from such an austere and volatile workplace is essential.

In one spot of good news, the government has finally agreed (after five years of requests, pressure and submissions) to increase funding for the Inspector of Correctional Services, though in typical government fashion, they have only increased funding by the bare minimum.

This is not good enough for a government that claims rehabilitation and reducing recidivism is a priority.

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