A $20 million fund should be set aside to support programs designed to prevent people from being sent to prison in the ACT and to help them stay out of the justice system once they are released, a new report says.
The Justice Reform Initiative paper argued the ACT needed to expand spending on programs to reduce imprisonment rates, finding more needed to be done to put downward pressure on recidivism rates.
The national advocacy group praised the programs and strategies already working in the ACT but said they lacked the resources needed to keep people out of prison.
"These are, however, currently operating on a scale that is too small to make a systemic difference when it comes to reducing recidivism and criminal justice system contact in the ACT," the report from the national advocacy group said.
Justice Reform Initiative executive director Mindy Sotiri said the ACT had a chance to lead Australia by investing in genuine alternatives to prison.
"We've seen what's possible in jurisdictions that take a smarter approach, such as in Scandinavian countries, and there's no reason why we can't do better in Australia to reduce the number of people going into prison and improve community safety," Dr Sotiri said.
Dr Sotiri said the ACT felt the ongoing impact of "outdated approaches to justice" despite committing to reducing its recidivism rate.
"The ACT has made a commendable step forward with its commitment to invest in communities, not prisons. However, many of these programs are under-resourced and especially for First Nations-led organisations."
The Alternatives to Incarceration in the Australian Capital Territory paper said a "breaking the cycle fund" should be set up by the territory government to support the community sector's work to divert people from the criminal justice system.
"The fund should have an initial funding commitment of at least $20 million per annum for new initiatives to provide community-led services focused on justice outcomes improvements," the paper said.
"At least 30 per cent of the fund should be dedicated to First Nations-led organisations, in recognition of the challenges and overrepresentation of First Nations people in the child protection and justice systems. This is in line with the aspirations of Closing the Gap and the currently federal justice reinvestment focus."
The paper noted First Nations adults were 23 times more likely to be in prison in the ACT than non-Indigenous adults, the highest over-representation rate in Australia.
While 2 per cent of the ACT population are First Nations people, 27 per cent of those incarcerated in the territory are First Nations people, the paper said, citing data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The fund should prioritise support for expanding bail support programs, community-led specialist drug and alcohol treatment, specialist post-release programs for adults and children, and expanded specialist mental health and disability programs.
"Given breaking the cycle of justice system involvement is a whole-of-government responsibility and delivers whole-of-government outcomes, including in health, housing, and economic engagement, it is recommended that the breaking the cycle fund be administered by a justice reinvestment co-ordinator general," the paper said.
The advocacy group said the fund should also cover an independent evaluation of the programs it supports.
The group's paper said the ACT spent $120 million in the last year on detaining adults and children.
The Justice Reform Initiative's patrons include former chief ministers Kate Carnell and Gary Humphries, acting ACT Supreme Court justice Richard Refshauge, former ACT Human Rights Commission president Helen Watchirs, former ACT directors of public prosecutions Ken Crispin and Shane Drumgold, and former ACT chief police officer Rudi Lammers.
The group has previously said the ACT needed to avoid "knee-jerk" reactions on bail and parole laws, and should not introduce mandatory sentencing laws for dangerous driving.
"It is easy to have populist appeal, especially with those agitating loudly, by making promises about 'getting tough on crime', tightening bail laws and bringing in harsher penalties," the group said in October 2022.
"In fact, this response goes against the evidence of what works to address crime, which is to target the underlying drivers and the entrenched disadvantage within large parts of our society.
