NSW Prisons Minister blocks measures that can reduce DV.
The scourge of Domestic Violence will not be reduced unless perpetrators’ attitudes and behaviours can be changed. Counselling is critical for those at risk of committing domestic violence. Our prisons are filling up with people on DV charges and convictions. They could—and should—be able to access online counselling in their cells. It could be delivered on the tablets that prisoners already have. Qualified providers are ready and willing to do the counselling, and without charging Corrective Services. CS don’t need to pay for it. They just need to FLIP THE SWITCH to let the services in.
It hasn’t happened. The Minister for Corrections, Anoulack Chanthivong, has had it on his desk for years, without making a decision. Was there no urgency?
Finally, after considerable pushing, he’s decided. And it’s NO. He’s blocking it. This is devastating news for actual and potential DV victims in NSW—and, indeed, for the perpetrators, who desperately need the counselling. It is a betrayal.
In 2017 the NSW Government decided to invest $42 million to install computer tablets in prison cells. Online counselling was a key reason for that investment, with projections that online counselling could spare over 500 women and children from domestic violence and save $110 million annually. However, these services have yet to be turned on—and now they won’t be.
The CJC expected better. In years of engagement with Corrections on this issue, the need for such counselling was never in question: only practical issues of implementation. In good faith we have answered objections, and provided solutions—as can be seen in our last letter, rehearsing again the need for the services, and dealing in detail with the practicalities.
For 3 months, the Minister ghosted us. For 3 months. We tried to follow up (8 times!), and couldn’t even get an acknowledgement of receipt, let alone an answer! Eventually, Budget Estimates Committee Hearing on the 26th of February, he was forced to admit he’d received it, and hadn’t replied.
Finally, on 10 March, the Minister replied. Without addressing the points in our letter, he effectively said “No, and shut up.” By way of reasons, he referred vaguely to “privacy, infrastructure, safety, and security risks” of external counselling. He offered no specification of those risks. Full details can be found in the letter.
Providing counselling to prisoners is crucial and delaying external counselling puts women and children at serious risk. Domestic violence incidents have increased by 24% since 2023, showing that the problem is getting worse. We outline these statistics in the transcript with commentary. The government should be susceptible to pressure for this.
The government has yet to justify why it is blocking prisoners from receiving online domestic violence counselling. The technology is there. The counselling is available. Corrective Services won’t have to pay for it. They have the opportunity and the means.
But, it seems, not the motive.
For further clarity, we have added links to the 8-page CJC letter to the Minister, the Minister’s response, and transcript with commentary from the Budget Estimates 2025-26 transcript.