I move:

That the following matter be referred to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by 16 May 2013:

The value of a justice reinvestment approach to criminal justice in Australia, with particular reference to:

(a) the drivers behind the past 30 years of growth in the Australian imprisonment rate;

(b) the economic and social costs of imprisonment;

(c) the over representation of disadvantaged groups within Australian prisons, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people experiencing mental ill health, cognitive disability and hearing loss;

(d) the cost, availability and effectiveness of alternatives to imprisonment, including prevention, early intervention, diversionary and rehabilitation measures;

(e) the methodology and objectives of justice reinvestment;

(f) the benefits of, and challenges to, implementing a justice reinvestment approach in Australia;

(g) the collection, availability and sharing of data necessary to implement a justice reinvestment approach;

(h) the implementation and effectiveness of justice reinvestment in other countries, including the United States of America;

(i) the scope for federal government action which would encourage the adoption of justice reinvestment policies by state and territory governments; and

(j) any other related matters.

Question agreed to.

I seek leave to make a short statement in relation to that motion.

Leave is granted for one minute.

The opposition did not oppose that motion, but wishes to indicate to the chamber that it has serious misgivings about the extent to which this matter might be effectively prosecuted by the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee. The question of justice reinvestment is a worthwhile concept, but the idea of diverting spending from prisons into measures to prevent and reduce the rate of incarceration is an issue which touches particularly on the operation of state institutions, state prisons, and the coalition is concerned that an inquiry, effectively, by a federal committee into the operation of a state prison system is not the most effective use of the committee's time. The opposition wishes to put those reservations on notice before this matter is dealt with.