The amount of unemployment payments for ACT prisoners almost doubled last financial year, while earnings for inmate employment dropped for the third straight year.
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Working is a key means of helping to rehabilitate ACT prisoners, providing employment experience and giving inmates a legitimate income, which can be spent on goods while inside the Alexander Maconochie Centre.
But figures in the latest Justice and Community Safety annual report show the amount of unemployment payments almost doubled from $64,770 to $112,331 between 2012-13 and 2013-14.
That may be due to an unprecedented rise in prisoner numbers at the AMC.
But, despite the rise in detainee numbers, the total amount of payments made for inmate work at the prison fell, continuing a trend seen since 2011-12.
The total amount of employment payments to detainees fell from $323,327 in 2012-13 to $314,587 in 2013-14.
The total payments made to inmates for education and programs increased in the latest financial year, the figures show. '
Corrections Minister Shane Rattenbury said the changes were the consequence of a rising number of detainees, without a corresponding rise in work within the prison.
"I am keenly aware of the need to increase work opportunities for detainees as it provides them with the skills they need to integrate into society upon their release," Mr Rattenbury said.
"Providing work opportunities that develop skills that can be carried on post-release is proven to support that integration."
Mr Rattenbury said he was actively looking at ways to increase the availability of work at the AMC.
"I am also looking to other jurisdictions' industry programs and will be visiting Long Bay correctional facility in November to discuss their approach in NSW."
The JACS annual report also lists several priorities for corrections and the AMC in the current financial year.
The extension of the successful Throughcare program, which helps rehabilitate offenders and prevent reoffending, is a key goal, and extra money was provided in the last budget to build on its early work.
The upgrade of the electronic security system at the AMC has also been earmarked as a priority.
The coming financial year will also see progress on the major expansion of the prison, which will include a new 30 cell special care centre and a 56 cell flexible accommodation block.
That expansion was announced after major overcrowding problems were revealed at the prison.
The former official visitor to the prison, Ivan Potas, said the overcrowding issues were the subject of numerous detainee complaints during the past financial year.
He reported that the need for greater sharing of cell accommodation, and the restriction of movement of prisoners were also complained about during 2013-14.
The JACS annual report also contains the latest recidivism figures for 2011-12, which show a slight drop in reoffending within two years of release from the AMC.
Despite the overall drop, more prisoners were put on corrective service orders within two years of release from the prison.
Mr Rattenbury said he was generally pleased with the recidivism results.
"The figures show that the rate of return to custody has gone down noticeably from last year, dropping from 46.6% to 41.9%," he said.
"The rate of return to Corrections supervision rose, which suggests that the same cohort of detainees have committed further offences of a lesser nature,"
