Abandoning monitoring pledge sends 'devastating' women's safety message

A leading provider of domestic violence support services says it is appalled the ACT government put a price on women's safety and abandoned plans to introduce electronic monitoring for high-risk offenders.

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YWCA Canberra said the government had put its budget bottom line and outcomes for offenders ahead of women's safety.

YWCA Canberra chief executive Frances Crimmins. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong

YWCA Canberra chief executive Frances Crimmins said the government's decision sent a "devastating message" to victim-survivors that their safety was not worth the investment.

"We are consistently told that preventing violence is everyone's responsibility, that perpetrators must be held accountable, and that victims should feel supported when they come forward," Ms Crimmins said.

"YWCA Canberra, and our colleagues in the women's sector, take these calls to action and our obligations to our clients very seriously but we see very little of this courage coming from government."

The Australian Federal Police Association also condemned the decision and called on the government to explain whether it considered the potential savings of preventing further offences, reducing the prison population and limiting harm for victims.

"We understand governments must make difficult budget decisions, but community safety and victim protection cannot simply be pushed aside because a measure comes with a price tag," the association's president, Alex Caruana, said.

Australian Federal Police Association president Alex Caruana. Picture by Keegan Carroll

"Every repeat offence has consequences. Victims, families, police, hospitals, courts, and corrective services all bear costs. Those costs must form part of any assessment of whether electronic monitoring represents value for money."

Ms Crimmins said: "Despite consulting with the women's safety sector on the design and operation of local electronic monitoring, it was left to The Canberra Times to expose the decision to no longer proceed in an otherwise buried speech to the Legislative Assembly ... where the relevant minister lamented the 'significant cost pressures' and 'competing priorities'."

ACT Greens justice spokeswoman Rebecca Vassarotti said the government had to face the music and accept things cost money.

"Electronic monitoring is a humane and compassionate alternative that protects our community while giving past offenders a genuine chance at a fresh start," Ms Vassarotti said.

Ms Vassarotti said keeping people in prison was expensive and the government needed to outline its plan to address the cost and capacity problems in the ACT.

"I know many in our community hold differing views on this issue, and I respect that. But to me, this is just another illustration of a government that has lost its way, standing for nothing beyond cuts and austerity, rather than delivering real solutions," she said.

The police association pointed to research in NSW that found electronically monitored domestic violence offenders were 32.9 per cent less likely to commit another domestic violence offence and also less likely to breach orders or commit any new offences.

"Electronic monitoring is not a complete solution. It must be supported by effective police responses, proper resourcing and strong bail conditions, but abandoning the proposal without a credible alternative leaves serious questions unanswered," Mr Caruana said.

Opposition Leader Mark Parton said he did not think it was acceptable to abandon the electronic monitoring commitment when domestic violence was increasing.

"This was a very, very, clear promise for a reason. And the other thing is that this system exists in every other jurisdiction in Australia. We're the only place where it doesn't; the only place without this technology," Mr Parton told ABC radio.

Corrections Minister Caitlin Tough, whose predecessor made the decision to abandon electronic monitoring, said victim-survivors were being kept safer because perpetrators would be held in prison rather than being released under monitoring.

"We're not putting it off the table forever, it's just at this time. The cost of setting it up, having that infrastructure, being a small jurisdiction, we don't have those economies of scale of bigger places like NSW and Queensland do," Ms Tough told ABC radio.

"So the cost of setting it up and that cost per person who would be electronically monitored becomes so high when we can put that money into other places in the corrections space."

Ms Tough indicated she would also examine the cost of keeping people in prison for longer alongside corrections officials.

"We don't want domestic violence perpetrators back on the streets when they're found guilty, we want to keep our community safe and so that means they are coming to the AMC. That is something we're working through, on the population pressures," she said.

• 1800 RESPECT
• 24/7 ACT Domestic Violence Crisis Service: (02) 6280 0900

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