The ACT Government is spending more than twice as much incarcerating First Nations people as it does funding Aboriginal community-controlled services, according to new figures raised in the Legislative Assembly.

Data for 2024-25 shows an estimated $36.2 million was spent detaining Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at the Alexander Maconochie Centre and Bimberi Youth Justice Centre, compared with $15.4 million directed to Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations (ACCOs).

The ACCO funding figures were revealed through a question on notice from independent MLA Thomas Emerson, while detention cost estimates are based on Productivity Commission data.

Mr Emerson said the disparity raised questions about the government’s stated commitment to closing the gap and investing in community-led services.

“The ACT Government has committed to building the ACCO sector to deliver services to Close the Gap, yet they’ve been pouring far more money into incarcerating First Nations people than funding ACCO-led services,” he said.

He argued that greater investment in early intervention and community programs would reduce long-term justice system costs and improve outcomes.

“People don’t turn to a life of crime without reason. We know services that improve the lives of people experiencing disadvantage lead to reduced crime,” Mr Emerson said.

Research into justice reinvestment has consistently pointed to the benefits of shifting funding from incarceration to prevention. Reports from the Jumbunna Institute and the Justice Reform Initiative have highlighted the effectiveness of community-led programs in reducing reoffending, while a 2020 review of the ACT’s Galambany Court found a return of $3.25 for every dollar spent.

Mr Emerson said the figures should be considered in the lead-up to the next Territory budget, calling for increased funding for ACCOs and preventive services.

He also pointed to the high daily cost of detention, citing Productivity Commission data estimating about $600 a day for an adult at the AMC and more than $4000 a day for a young person at Bimberi.

“These are huge costs and indicative of the mistake we continue to make in failing to invest sufficiently in prevention and early intervention,” he said.