People in Canberra’s only prison paid nearly $125,000 to make phone calls across two years when this should have been free, an Ombudsman investigation has found.
The ACT Ombudsman found that ACT Corrective Services (ACTCS) still charged people in prison to make phone calls despite the contracted phone company not charging for them.
While some refunds have been issued, about 500 people are still yet to be reimbursed, the Ombudsman found.
Following publication of the report, ACTCS has issued an apology on its website and pledged to contact those impacted who have yet to be refunded.
The investigation was spurred by a complaint that the cost of phone calls at AMC was “extortionate”.
It found that from April 2022 to May 2024, the phone call service provider that ACTCS uses was not actually charging the department for calls from people incarcerated at Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) to landlines and mobiles.
Despite the free cost for the department, the people in prison making the calls were still being charged.
Across the two years, 980 people were overcharged a total of nearly $125,000 to make phone calls that should have been free.
The ACT Ombudsman said this was “potentially unlawful” and “certainly unfair”.
After the issue was identified, ACTCS issued refunds to those still incarcerated and issued a notice on its website notifying those who had been released.
This notice said that ACTCS would make “every effort” to contact those impacted so they could receive the refund, but the Ombudsman noted that this was the sole attempt made by the Department.
“We consider this a wholly inadequate effort to contact individuals,” the Ombudsman concluded.
The ACTCS notice also “obfuscated the extent of the overcharging issue”, the Ombudsman found, and did not include an apology.
In July 2024, nearly 1000 people incarcerated at AMC during the two year period were refunded more than $100,000 through their prison account.
But 486 people impacted by the overcharging are still yet to receive the refund and are owed a total of nearly $47,000.
The overcharging of people in prison had an impact that went beyond financial and may have impacted rehabilitation efforts, the Ombudsman said:
“Had they not been charged for calls to Australian mobiles and landlines, almost certainly more would have chosen to take advantage of the free call option and may therefore have been better connected with their family and community, and more supported on release."
In response to the report, ACTCS has now agreed to “continue attempts” to contact those who have not yet been refunded, publish relevant information about this and issue an apology to those impacted by it via its website.
ACTCS has now published this apology on its homepage:
“ACTCS sincerely apologises to individuals who were in custody at the AMC between April 2022 and 24 May 2024 for the overcharging of calls to Australian mobiles and landlines.
We understand how important it is for detainees at the AMC to stay connected with family and community, and we regret any distress this issue may have caused.”
ACTCS said that those who have not yet been refunded can contact them via ACTCSCommissionersOffice@act.gov.au, and that the agency will also be contacting those impacted.
People in Canberra’s only prison paid nearly $125,000 to make phone calls across two years when this should have been free, an Ombudsman investigation has found.
The ACT Ombudsman found that ACT Corrective Services (ACTCS) still charged people in prison to make phone calls despite the contracted phone company not charging for them.
While some refunds have been issued, about 500 people are still yet to be reimbursed, the Ombudsman found.
Following publication of the report, ACTCS has issued an apology on its website and pledged to contact those impacted who have yet to be refunded.
The investigation was spurred by a complaint that the cost of phone calls at AMC was “extortionate”.
It found that from April 2022 to May 2024, the phone call service provider that ACTCS uses was not actually charging the department for calls from people incarcerated at Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) to landlines and mobiles.
Despite the free cost for the department, the people in prison making the calls were still being charged.
Across the two years, 980 people were overcharged a total of nearly $125,000 to make phone calls that should have been free.
The ACT Ombudsman said this was “potentially unlawful” and “certainly unfair”.
After the issue was identified, ACTCS issued refunds to those still incarcerated and issued a notice on its website notifying those who had been released.
This notice said that ACTCS would make “every effort” to contact those impacted so they could receive the refund, but the Ombudsman noted that this was the sole attempt made by the Department.
“We consider this a wholly inadequate effort to contact individuals,” the Ombudsman concluded.
The ACTCS notice also “obfuscated the extent of the overcharging issue”, the Ombudsman found, and did not include an apology.
In July 2024, nearly 1000 people incarcerated at AMC during the two year period were refunded more than $100,000 through their prison account.
But 486 people impacted by the overcharging are still yet to receive the refund and are owed a total of nearly $47,000.
The overcharging of people in prison had an impact that went beyond financial and may have impacted rehabilitation efforts, the Ombudsman said:
“Had they not been charged for calls to Australian mobiles and landlines, almost certainly more would have chosen to take advantage of the free call option and may therefore have been better connected with their family and community, and more supported on release."
In response to the report, ACTCS has now agreed to “continue attempts” to contact those who have not yet been refunded, publish relevant information about this and issue an apology to those impacted by it via its website.
ACTCS has now published this apology on its homepage:
“ACTCS sincerely apologises to individuals who were in custody at the AMC between April 2022 and 24 May 2024 for the overcharging of calls to Australian mobiles and landlines.
We understand how important it is for detainees at the AMC to stay connected with family and community, and we regret any distress this issue may have caused.”
ACTCS said that those who have not yet been refunded can contact them via ACTCSCommissionersOffice@act.gov.au, and that the agency will also be contacting those impacted.
The price of prison phone calls in the ACT is cheaper than most other jurisdictions, but is still far higher than what those in the community pay for calls, the Ombudsman said.
From late 2024, the cost of a phone call from AMC was set at 18.7c per minute, totalling $1.87 for a maximum 10-minute phone call.
“The call charges for people in detention at AMC are well above what is paid in the community, while lacking the flexibility of access and being subject to duration constraints,” the report said.
ACTCS is currently in the planning stages of procuring a new digital services solution for AMC to improve access to communications and education, and allow people to make voice and video calls through a portable device such as a tablet.
The department is expected to go to the market in the coming months, and to have a contract finalised in the second half of this year.
The price of prison phone calls in the ACT is cheaper than most other jurisdictions, but is still far higher than what those in the community pay for calls, the Ombudsman said.
From late 2024, the cost of a phone call from AMC was set at 18.7c per minute, totalling $1.87 for a maximum 10-minute phone call.
“The call charges for people in detention at AMC are well above what is paid in the community, while lacking the flexibility of access and being subject to duration constraints,” the report said.
ACTCS is currently in the planning stages of procuring a new digital services solution for AMC to improve access to communications and education, and allow people to make voice and video calls through a portable device such as a tablet.
The department is expected to go to the market in the coming months, and to have a contract finalised in the second half of this year.
Should going to prison mean never being allowed to hug your partner or child? Is denying physical contact a just punishment, or does it harm families and human dignity? And what do human rights have to say about it?
While for the most part calls to mobiles are becoming cheaper, we clearly still have a long way to go.
Including seven children escaping youth detention in Tasmania, two men being charged over prison murder in Queensland, a coroner pushing for bans on spit hoods in prison in the Northern Territory and more.
There are no nation-wide policies or guidelines for managing extreme heat in Australian prisons, or for the regular measurement of temperatures within prison buildings and cells.
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