NT Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley admits ‘unacceptable level of investment’ failed to rehabilitate domestic violence abusers

The Northern Territory’s prison boss says jails are failing to protect domestic violence victims as abusers are released without rehabilitation.

Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley said the Territory did not have enough money to tackle the “epidemic proportions” of violence, lack of rehabilitation programs, and surging prison populations. Picture: Jason Walls

The Northern Territory’s Corrections boss has acknowledged prisons have failed to protect domestic violence victims or reform abusers, describing the overcrowded jails as only a stopgap in the violence.

During Australia’s largest coronial inquiry into domestic violence homicides, Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley said the NT did not have enough money to tackle the “epidemic proportions” of violence, lack of rehabilitation programs, and surging prison populations.

Mr Varley told Coroner Elisabeth Armitage on Thursday the prison population had tripled in two decades, from an average prisoner count of 750 to 2200 each night in 2023.

Despite this, he said for 10 years there had been no increase in the budget for prison rehabilitation programs.

Mr Varley said while 60 per cent of prisoners were on DV charges, only 300 people had gone through the intensive six-month DV program, Recognising Anger and Gaining Empowerment, over 12-months.

Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley told coroner Elisabeth Armitage on Thursday that the Territory’s prison population had tripled in two decades, from an average prison count of 750 to 2200 Territorians locked up each night in 2023. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“At the core of it ... resources have been pushed to what is believed to be the best frontline service response,” he said.

“In our case that is the daily operations of the prison, keeping prison doors locked and the lights on.

“We’re now trying to catch up on...that enormous unmet demand.”

Mr Varley said the $63m annual Corrections budget increase was still a “drop in the ocean” compared to the level of need.

He said the latest action plan had released $1.9m over two years for Men’s Behaviour Change programs in prison, and $500,000 for trauma informed counselling for women in prison, the majority of whom are DV survivors.

However, internal government documents reveal the government slashed a recommended $33m five-year Men’s Behaviour Change program to $9.13m over two years — despite warnings it would compromise the success of mandatory sentencing reforms.

In November the NT Government removed mandatory sentencing for assault and breaches of DV orders and introduced enforced behaviour change programs, but Central Australian DV experts told the coroner there had been no communication about how this would impact services.

Women’s Safety Services of Central Australia CEO Larissa Ellis supported the mandatory sentencing reforms. Photo: EMMA MURRAY

“We don’t understand what the demand might be, and nobody can tell us,” Women’s Safety Services of Central Australia CEO Larissa Ellis said.

While domestic violence services have supported the mandatory sentencing reforms, concerns have been raised about the additional pressures on an already over-stretched sector.

Ms Ellis revealed her organisation was in the red, saying “every single service I have contact with is running either at a deficit, or is looking at reduced services”.

It come as Territory Families Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Reduction executive director Gabrielle Brown confirmed $3.45m — 17 per cent of the total action plan funding — would be spent to hire 13 new department staff.

Originally published as NT Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley admits ‘unacceptable level of investment’ failed to rehabilitate domestic violence abusers