ACT promise to track domestic violence offenders abandoned over high cost

The ACT has dropped a promise to track domestic violence perpetrators in the community because the multi-million dollar cost of introducing ankle monitors was considered too high.

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Expanding the scheme to cover domestic and family violence perpetrators was found to cost more than $18 million a year, The Canberra Times can reveal.

The cost of introducing ankle monitoring was too high and competed with other priorities, including investments in Canberra's prison, the Alexander Maconochie Centre. Pictures by Karleen Minney and Canva.

Now the government has confirmed the high cost of running Canberra's jail and other priorities meant it had decided not to introduce electronic monitoring in this term but was open to considering it again in the future.

"The feasibility work demonstrated that while [electronic monitoring] presents an opportunity to improve justice outcomes for offenders, increase compliance with community-based orders and promote community safety, it is expensive to establish and operate," a spokesperson for the Justice and Community Safety Directorate said.

The Australian Federal Police Association also backs electronic monitoring for eligible high-risk offenders and has expressed concern over the delay.

"Electronic monitoring is not a guarantee against reoffending, but it provides another means of supervision and identifying potential breaches," the association's president, Alex Caruana, said.

Then corrections minister Marisa Paterson at Canberra's jail in January 2026. Picture by Karleen Minney

Then corrections minister Marisa Paterson told the Legislative Assembly in June the government remained broadly supportive of electronic monitoring but the "very high costs" of setting it up had led the government to drop the commitment in this term of government.

The announcement was made in a few lines buried in a more than 2100-word statement to the Assembly, with no questions asked about the change in government position during budget estimates hearings in July.

Dr Paterson pointed to the "competing priorities" this term, including investments in Canberra's prison, the Alexander Maconochie Centre, and a board of inquiry into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths in custody, as reasons for dropping electronic monitoring in this term.

The Alexander Maconochie Centre, Canberra's jail. Picture by Karleen Minney

A spokesperson for the Justice and Community Safety Directorate said a comprehensive investigation examined how electronic monitoring could be introduced to the ACT.

The government considered using the technology for intensive corrections orders, parole, bail, leave permits, home detention, post-release supervision and monitoring family and domestic violence perpetrators.

"Best-practice models, particularly for domestic and family violence (DFV) perpetrators, require substantial funding in order to realise the well-being impacts associated with increased victim safety," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said any system needed to run comprehensive risk assessments and effectively supervise the defendants or offenders who are being monitored.

"The government found that after initial set up costs, indicative base costs to monitor a relatively small number of offenders under community corrections supervision were estimated to be over $4 million per year, with costs increasing to over $18 million a year for a DFV monitoring scheme. The cost per day would vary based on the number of persons in the program," the spokesperson said.

Dr Paterson in November 2025 said it would likely take three years before electronic monitoring was rolled out in the ACT instead of the "months, not years" indication earlier given by Mr Barr.

"In my former role as attorney-general, my view was that electronic monitoring could be a powerful tool in keeping the community safe, and providing options to prevent re-offending and allowing suitable people to rehabilitate in a community environment," Mr Rattenbury said.

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

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