Thousands of Victorians could avoid prison terms under a major state government campaign to reduce reoffending rates, and improve the rehabilitation of offenders.
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The overhaul has been touted as the biggest shakeup the community corrections sector has seen in years, with hundreds of new staff and $233 million about to be poured into the system.
The major funding boost will begin this week, as crime rates continue to soar across the state and riots cripple the operation of the youth justice sector.
About 14,000 Victorians are subject to community corrections orders (CCOs) - court-ordered punishments that are an alternative, or accompaniment, to jail. Those subject to CCOs must complete any programs and community work the court believes will stop them reoffending.
But, consistently, one third of offenders fail to complete their CCOs, with many returning to prison.
Sector workers say only about 66 per cent complete their programs because the system has for years struggled with too few staff.
Jenny Hosking, the assistant director of Community Correctional Services, conceded that the number of people completing CCOs had, at times, "not been great".
"We're dealing with people with very entrenched behaviour that needs change," she said.
Workers report that caseworkers have been overwhelmed by too many clients to manage, too few rehabilitation beds, and a lack of programs to help people change their lives has also stood in the way of offenders turning their lives around.
Ms Hosking said it could be as simple as someone not being able to afford a Myki card to get to their court-ordered community work.
Traditionally, Ms Hosking said, authorities took a "three strikes and you're out" approach. Those who continually breached, or failed to complete, their CCOs found themselves back in court. For many, that meant they wound up in jail.
From this week, Community Correctional Services will have an intensive case management focus.
Ms Hosking said this would allow staff to work creatively with offenders to help them complete their programs - although she stressed that those deemed to be a risk to the community would be given no leeway.
"I think it's going to have an enormous impact on our system," she said.
From Monday, 100 newly-recruited staff will bolster the ranks of community corrections workers. By April, there will be almost 300 new staff - boosting the workforce to about 950.
But it's not just new staff the government hopes will make a difference. From Monday, those staff will have reduced caseloads, allowing them to spend more time with offenders who have a high risk of reoffending.
There will be more programs available to send them - thanks to a $10 million investment in drug and alcohol rehabilitation and counselling, to family violence support services, and offending programs.
Corrections Minister Gayle Tierney said giving staff manageable caseloads would free them up to better monitor and manage offenders.
"We have provided a record investment for better support to help break the cycle of re-offending."
