‘The flow-on effect is huge’: Warning after Department of Justice and Community Safety job cuts

Hundreds of department of justice staff have been axed including workers who manage some of Victoria’s highest risk offenders, sparking fears the community will be put at risk.

Fears have been raised for community safety after almost 300 department of justice staff were axed in mass job cuts, including workers who manage some of Victoria’s highest-risk offenders.

About 280 public servants have been told they no longer have a position or could be redeployed after an online meeting was called with Department of Justice and Community Safety staff on Tuesday afternoon.

The Herald Sun understands that among roles axed were Corrections Victoria advanced case managers and their supervisors, who deal with high-level offenders sentenced to a combination of jail time and community orders, including sex offenders, family violence and other violent offenders, drug traffickers and those who commit burglaries and theft.

Instead, these roles would be combined, meaning supervisors responsible for entire teams of workers and the offenders they manage would also have their own caseload of high risk offenders.

Among the axed were Corrections Victoria advanced case managers and their supervisors, who deal with high-level offenders.

Advanced case managers, who often meet offenders weekly, ensure they attend crucial programs to reduce the risk of committing more crimes and adhere to reporting conditions under their court mandated Community Corrections Orders.

One worker whose job was cut said the broader community would be put and risk without proper servicing of offenders.

“It’s awful, absolutely awful,” the worker said.

“I think it’s going to take another Jill Meagher type scenario for the community be aware of this issue and be up in arms about it, and for the government to stop cutting funding and cutting jobs in areas we are so desperate for.”

Serial sex offender Adrian Bayley was on parole when he broke a man’s jaw, then was granted bail when he raped and murdered Ms Meagher in Brunswick in 2012, leading to a massive overhaul of Victoria’s parole system.

The Herald Sun understands the latest job cuts do not affect parole.

The worker, who did not wish to be identified, raised concern about the impact if offenders in the community had less oversight, and less support.

“(Offenders) already come to us in need of supports, in desperate need, not just for themselves but for their children, their partners and the broader community,” they said.

One worker warned ‘it’s going to take another Jill Meagher-type scenario for the community be aware of this issue and be up in arms about it’. Picture: AFP

“We’re going to have less ability to see them as much as we do … that impacts them, their ability to address their needs, their risk of reoffending and community safety.

“The flow on effect is huge.”

Another Corrections staffer axed asked: “Where does the risk sit for the community, how are these people going to be managed?”

The staffer said during the meeting announcing the cuts, public servants were told that the department would also be “cutting external services”, believed to be intervention programs to address specific offending, and that Corrections Victoria’s priorities would have to “shift”.

“What does that mean?” the staffer said.

It’s understood that case managers are already over capacity and are dealing with up to 50 offenders at a time, meeting them regularly to ensure they participate in court ordered programs, including for drugs, alcohol, anger management and family violence.

The Herald Sun has been told some staff already work nights and weekends to try and get on top of the caseload.

Adrian Bayley was on bail when he raped and murdered Jill Meagher.

“We can’t just write back to court and say, sorry we can’t service this caseload,” a worker said.

“That comes at a cost of people’s wellbeing, we’ve been doing that for a long time and this change is only going to make it worse.”

Thousands of staff were called to an online meeting on Tuesday by DJCS secretary Kate Houghton and associate secretary Ryan Phillips, where they were notified that 280 staff would be axed due to budget cuts.

Some of those facing the axe were told they could fight a colleague for a single role, while others were told they had been job matched or that their fixed contracts would be completed.

It comes after Corrections Victoria continued to recruit new staff up until the announcement, with many inexperienced external recruits told they would be keeping their jobs while other long-serving staff were notified that they had to consider their options.

“They are running the risk of new staff managing new staff,” an axed employee said.

Opposition Corrections spokesman Brad Battin said the impacts of the state government’s overspending was now having serious impacts on the community.

“When the state goes broke, it’s community safety that pays and now we are seeing the consequences of Labor’s financial mismanagement,” he said.

“Crime rates in Victoria are increasing at record rates, we need more frontline staff in justice not less.”

A Department of Justice and Community Spokesman said: “Like all departments, the Department of Justice and Community Safety is working to achieve the reprioritisation decisions announced in recent Budgets, while ensuring we continue to deliver on the Government’s core priorities.

“The proposed changes will still ensure community safety is paramount. They will reduce duplication and ensure we have the right people in the right roles to deliver the most effective services for Victorians -- and we have minimised impacts to staff wherever possible.

“We understand this will be a difficult time for many staff right across the department and we will ensure they are supported throughout the process.”