A CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR ALL

OUR COMMITMENT Commissioning a comprehensive independent inquiry into the ACT’s criminal justice system to investigate rates of reoffending, youth offending and diversion, policing approaches and resources, justice reinvestment, bail, sentencing, corrections, family and domestic violence, and the Alexander Maconochie Centre. WHAT WE STAND FOR Delivering fair outcomes through a forward-thinking system that reduces recidivism and keeps our community safe. Implementing effective rehabilitation programs, particularly for repeat offenders, including while on remand. Reducing the alarming rate of Indigenous incarceration. Investing in youth diversion programs to tackle the youth crime crisis and reduce antisocial behaviour among young people. Ensuring an adequately resourced police force commensurate with community need.

WHY WE NEED CHANGE

People across the ACT are voicing concerns about crime rates, repeat offending in Canberra, insufficient rehabilitation investment and youth diversion programs, and the consequences of the failings of our criminal justice system for both victims and offenders.

The ACT has Australia’s highest recidivism rates, with 63.7 per cent of offenders released from prison returning to corrective services within two years. This number increased in the last 12 months. 80 per cent of current inmates have experienced prior imprisonment, which is also the highest proportion in the country.
In the ACT, over 40 per cent of inmates report untreated mental health issues at the time of incarceration; and roughly 30 per cent of prisoners have an intellectual disability, highlighting the need for specialised support and services.
The Alexander Maconochie Centre is consistently operating at, or very near to, full capacity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander detainees are disproportionately placed in higher security classifications, subjected to more frequent uses of force and strip searches, and are often targets of segregation orders. They also report that their cultural and health needs are frequently unmet.
Indigenous people comprise 28 per cent of the ACT prison population but only 2 per cent of the overall population.
The ACT has the highest Indigenous imprisonment gap in Australia; Indigenous Canberrans are 24.6 times more likely to be incarcerated than non-Indigenous Canberrans.
The ACT has Australia’s second-highest rates of motor vehicle theft.
ACT police officers report being overworked, under-resourced, poorly remunerated and even unprepared to carry out the work expected of them. For instance, in 2022-23, ACT Policing attended 4,166 mental health related incidents, which may involve encountering an individual suffering from violent psychosis. Insufficient services are in place to provide the support needed to manage incidents related to mental instability and drug use, leaving ACT Policing to pick up the slack.