# Evidence: Rehabilitation, Prison Education, Employment and AI | New Beginnings URL: https://newbeginnings.academy/evidence Evidence # The case, in numbers. National figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Productivity Commission, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and Jobs and Skills Australia. Current as at October 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. ## The system 50,164 people in custody (average daily number), June quarter 2026. Up 7% in a year. 228 people imprisoned per 100,000 adults, up from 217 a year earlier. 78,800 prisoner releases in the twelve months to June 2026. 81,503 people serving community-based corrections orders, including 18,591 on parole. 43% of people in custody are unsentenced (on remand). 18,396 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in custody: 37% of the total. ## The cycle of recidivism 44.5% of people released returned to prison within two years: the highest rate since 2019 (RoGS 2026). This is recidivism, and reducing it is the goal of rehabilitation. 60% of people in prison had been in adult prison before. For First Nations prisoners it is 76% (ABS 2025). $5bn+ a year to run Australia's prisons, about $13.7 million a day (RoGS 2026). Imprisonment rate per 100,000 adults · June quarter 2026 NT 1,380 WA 357 QLD 270 SA 235 AUST 228 NSW 208 TAS 185 VIC 132 ACT 122 Return-to-prison rates also vary widely: 60.3% in the Northern Territory against 28.2% in South Australia, for people released in 2021–22 (national 43.0%). ## Community corrections: a Queensland example 23.7% of people who finished a community order in 2023–24 were back in corrective services with a new sentence within two years. The target is under 16.8% (Qld Budget 2026–27). 53.1% of people released from prison in 2023–24 were back with a new sentence (prison or a supervised community order) within two years. The target is under 48.4% (Qld Budget 2026–27). 536 rehabilitation program completions in community corrections in 2025–26, against 4,572 in prisons (Qld Budget 2026–27, estimated actual). Queensland · 2025–26 estimated actual Supervising someone in the community costs about $28 a day, against $333 a day in prison, and 83.6% of community orders are completed successfully. In July 2026 the Queensland Audit Office found that rehabilitation and reintegration were not being planned well enough; Queensland Corrective Services accepted all five of its recommendations. Our training for community corrections → Beyond the job ## A job lasts longer when life is stable. Employment is one part of staying out. Housing, money, health and family are the others. These are basic skills, but the better a person can manage their own life, the more likely they are to keep a job and keep growing. AI gives people a patient, private helper for the paperwork and decisions that often trip them up. Taught in Level 02, Everyday life, and reinforced through every other level. 43% Housing of prison entrants were homeless in the 30 days before prison (AIHW). AI helps with rental applications, tenancy forms and understanding a lease. 51% Health of prison entrants reported a mental health diagnosis, including alcohol and other drug use disorders (AIHW). AI gives plain answers on food, alcohol, medication and appointments. 31% Paperwork left school at Year 9 or below (AIHW). AI reads and explains letters from Centrelink, MyGov, courts and banks, and helps draft a reply. Money and family Day-to-day life Budgeting, spotting scams and debt traps, school notes, homework help and keeping track of appointments. ## The future workforce Jobs and Skills Australia's 2025 projections and Generative AI Capacity Study describe the labour market people will be released into. ~2.0m more jobs by May 2035 (13.3% growth), reaching 16.6 million. +24.7% projected growth for nursing support and personal care workers. Health care and social assistance grows fastest of any industry. 90%+ of employment growth will be in jobs that need post-secondary qualifications, which makes VET pathways essential. 31% vs 4% of workers are in highly augmentable occupations, against 4% in highly automatable ones. Clerical and administrative roles are most exposed. ## Who is inside, where the jobs are, and what we teach. Pathway Why it fits the cohort AI skills taught Levels Construction and trades 92% male; 37% hold a trade certificate Quoting, estimating, safety documents, site reports 04, 05 Transport and logistics Prime working age; strong regional demand Route and load planning, logbooks, freight platforms 04 Mining and resources Major regional employer in WA, Qld, NT and SA Safety reporting, maintenance logs, compliance 04 Care and community services Fastest-growing industry to 2035; key pathway for women (subject to screening requirements) Rostering apps, case notes, plain-language communication 03, 04 Land and sea management 37% First Nations; Indigenous Rangers Program doubling to 3,800 positions by 2030 Drones, camera traps, fire mapping, field data apps 04 Hospitality and tourism Entry-level roles across every state Bookings, reviews, menus, translation 04 Managing life outside (every learner) 43% homeless before prison; 51% report a mental health condition; 31% left school at Year 9 or below Reading letters and forms, budgeting, health information, tenancy, family admin 01, 02 Self-employment Common post-release path, especially in remote communities Quotes, invoices, marketing, bookkeeping, websites 05, 06 ## Policy alignment National AI Plan, Dec 2025 Commits to embedding AI literacy across schools, VET and workplaces, closing digital inclusion gaps for First Nations and regional Australians, and piloting AI in justice. Closing the Gap, Target 10 Reduce the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults held in incarceration by at least 15% by 2031. Employment after release is central to that goal. Correctional education evidence International research (RAND, United States) found people who take part in correctional education are 43% less likely to return to prison, with more than $4 saved for every $1 spent. State reintegration frameworks Designed to sit inside each jurisdiction's rehabilitation and reintegration framework and to complement existing education and employment programs. ## By jurisdiction Jurisdiction Prisoners, 30 Jun 2025 First Nations share Rate per 100k, Jun qtr 2026 New South Wales 13,164 34% 207.8 Queensland 11,278 40% 270.3 Western Australia 8,476 44% 356.8 Victoria 6,593 14% 132.0 South Australia 3,416 26% 234.5 Northern Territory 2,842 88% 1,380.1 Tasmania 797 26% 185.4 Australian Capital Territory 430 31% 122.1 Sources - ABS, Corrective Services, Australia, June Quarter 2026 (released 16 Sep 2026) - ABS, Prisoners in Australia, 2025 - Productivity Commission, Report on Government Services 2026, Corrective services - Sentencing Advisory Council (Vic), Released prisoners returning to prison - AIHW, Adults in prison and Health of people in Australia's prisons 2022 - Jobs and Skills Australia, Generative AI Capacity Study (2025) - Jobs and Skills Australia, Employment Projections 2025–2035 - Australian Government, National AI Plan (2 Dec 2025) - National Agreement on Closing the Gap, Target 10 - RAND Corporation, Evaluating the Effectiveness of Correctional Education - Queensland Budget 2026–27, Service Delivery Statements: Queensland Corrective Services - Queensland Government media statement on new corrections officers (10 Apr 2026) - ABC News, Queensland Audit Office report on rehabilitating and reintegrating prisoners (7 Jul 2026)