Controversy
The Alexander Maconochie Centre has been the subject of controversy during its planning, construction, and period immediately post opening. A chief criticism related to the facility's large initial cost estimates and even larger final price tag. On 21 January 2009 the Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety of the ACT Government resolved that it would inquire into and report on the circumstances surrounding the delay in the commencement of operations of the Centre, the cost of delays to the ACT Government, as well as the impact of delays, if any, on the delivery of corrective services. At the same time, there was confusion between the ACT and the NSW Governments about willingness and ability of Corrective Services NSW to continue to accept ACT prisoners, due to overcrowding in NSW facilities:
The cessation of transfers of prisoners to NSW was never satisfactorily explained.... The cessation of transfers of prisoners to NSW in December 2008 added to the pressure on ACT remand facilities and contributed further to their failure to be human rights compliant.
The central argument by proponents of the facility was that the facility would save the ACT millions of dollars every year because it would not have to pay for prisoners to be held in New South Wales-operated prisons. Based on the current cost of approximately A$60,000 per year (per prisoner) that it costs for the ACT to send prisoners interstate, the centre was to pay for itself in fifteen years. However, an increase in the costs of construction and operation of the prison will no doubt mean that the facility will take longer to pay for itself. The other major controversy was a doubt over whether or not the ACT, with a population of just over 320,000, actually needs its own prison. Based on the assumption that the prison would be in operation in early 2007, it would only be 25% utilised. Given the expense of staff and operating the prison, some doubted whether it would be any cheaper than the former prison agreement with the New South Wales government.
In January 2010 it was reported that the average cost of housing an inmate in the Alexander Maconochie Centre is A$504 per day, more than double the amount the New South Wales Government charged the ACT Government for housing inmates before the Centre opened.
Read more about this topic: Alexander Maconochie Centre, History
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