A charity helping ACT prisoners reintegrate into society has asked for almost double its usual funding in a submission to the territory budget as the government warns of tightened spending.
Prisoners Aid ACT has called for an additional $150,000 in funding from the territory government to combat increasingly complex cases and a sharp increase in the cost of transport, accommodation and food.
The charity supports people in the justice system and their families, with offices at the ACT Magistrates Court and the Alexander Maconochie Centre.
In 2024-25, the charity made more than 4000 client contacts and handled about 8500 requests for help, including transport assistance, emergency accommodation, food assistance, essential items and referrals to other services, with just one full-time staff member and two casuals.
Prisoners Aid ACT had a budget of about $267,000 in 2024-25, of which employment costs made up 83 per cent. The charity received more than $243,000 in funding from the ACT Community Services Directorate.
The funding call comes before the release of the ACT budget this week, with Chief Minister Andrew Barr warning major infrastructure projects will be pushed back due to the government's tight fiscal position, and directorates expected to significantly cut costs, with one already announcing voluntary redundancies.
Independent economist Saul Eslake's May review of the ACT's fiscal sustainability found a significant deterioration in the ACT's financial position over the past decade, "entirely due" to conscious policy decisions taken by the ACT government.
A Prisoners Aid spokesperson said demand for its services was increasing, along with the complexity of need.
"Many clients are presenting with multiple and overlapping challenges, including homelessness, mental health concerns, disability, substance use, family violence, lack of income and lack of identification. At the same time, the cost of providing practical assistance has risen sharply," the spokesperson said.
The additional funding would allow Prisoners Aid to fully staff both ACT offices, including weekend coverage at the territory's jail, and to invest in staff wellbeing and clinical supervision, specialised training and a better client data system, the spokesperson said.
"We believe this is a modest, cost-effective investment in early intervention. Timely, practical support at court, in custody and immediately after release can reduce crisis, strengthen reintegration, reduce reoffending and make the broader community safer," the spokesperson said.
The charity previously asked for an additional $137,000 before the 2024-25 budget to fund a full-time staff member at the jail.
President Peta-Lee Jeffries said the days and weeks after people were released from custody were a critical window.
"People often leave custody without stable housing, income, identification or support, and it is exactly when the right practical assistance can be the difference between rebuilding a life and cycling back into the justice system," she said.
"What we are seeing is not only more demand, but more complex demand. People are coming to us with multiple and urgent needs, while the costs of transport, accommodation, food and basic essentials continue to rise. A modest increase in funding would allow us to respond earlier, more safely and more effectively, before people fall further into crisis."
