Tasmania State Budget 2019: How the Government is planing to cope with big increase in prisoners

There has been a big increase in the number of prisoners in Tasmanian jails which has prompted a budget boost … but the money isn’t coming any time soon.

Risdon Prison correctional officers outside in the yards of Risdon Prison.

The Hodgman Government has promoted itself as being “tough on crime” and will continue the roll out of funding for law and order projects in the order of $170m over the next four years.

This includes large infrastructure spends on a second prison, new southern remand centre and upgrades for Risdon Prison to tackle what is described in the Budget papers as a “sustained increase” in prisoner numbers.

Much of this money will not be rolled out until 2020-2021.

About $19m has been allocated for capital investment in the coming financial year.

Only $1m has been funded for the new $270m northern prison — which will be for community consultation on potential locations.

Minister for Corrections Elise Archer said an announcement of the final location would be made in “coming months.”

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ANALYSIS: DRESSING UP THE ORDINARY

HOUSING: FAST TRACK PLAN ON TARGET

EDUCATION: EARLY LEARNING A WINNER

Funding of $70m over four years will go to the building of the new southern remand centre, which will be finished in 2021.

A managing contractor for the project is expected to be announced in the first quarter of 2019-2020.

Risdon Prison will grow by 16 beds with the construction of a new pre-release facility.

Risdon will also benefit from $9.3m in 2021-2022 for upgrading the gatehouse, medical centre, prisoner processing area, visitor area and a new kitchen.

Planning for a new $12m emergency services hub in Sorell will begin in 2019-2020, including buying the land.

New $5m police stations in New Norfolk and Longford will receive $3.5m and $2.7m respectively in 2019-2020.

Significant funding for the state’s courts in the order of $35m over four years will go towards a new magistrate and Supreme Court justice (from 2021-2022) and acting judges.

Funding for the Legal Aid Commission halves (from $16m to $8m) by 2020-2021 due to the end of federal funding, but a new agreement may be reached prior to the budget for that year.

Approximately $9m a year is budgeted for the child abuse Royal Commission redress scheme, starting in 2019-2020.