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ACSO

Our Vision is for a community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, and prison truly is the last resort

Founded in 1984 on the lived experience of Stan McCormack, the Australian Community Support Organisation (ACSO) has delivered services to help break the cycle of people repeatedly entering the justice system because they lack the support to make change. ACSO works with people at risk of entering or who have already entered the justice system. Our work supports, diverts or reintegrates people throu

gh a range of services including mental health, alcohol and other drug treatment, intensive residential support, housing and employment. These services span the entire justice continuum from prevention to rehabilitation.

28/05/2026

For everyone at ACSO, reconciliation week is an opportunity to reinforce our commitment to the equitable treatment of all Australians.

From taking time to reflect on the impacts of Sorry Day to ensuring First Nations culture, histories and ways of being are incorporated into the work we do, ACSO is ALL IN for reconciliation!

26/05/2026

41 years. That's how long we have been delivering reintegration services.

ACSO was founded in 1984 by a man named Stan McCormack. Stan had spent time prison after committing a series of bank robberies. While inside, he came to understand how the odds were stacked against people who had gone through the justice system.

Not only was disadvantage frequently a motivator in the crimes being committed, but people leaving prison often had little access to housing, trouble finding work, and no available support for mental health challenges or disabilities.

Stan was determined to change that.

He started small with a drop-in centre on Napier Street in Fitzroy. But over time, his vision grew and matured into the Australian Community Support Organisation.

Stan passed away in 2021, but his vision lives on, and his lived experience forms the foundation on which ACSO was built.

Today, ACSO operates across VIC, NSW, QLD and WA, providing essential services for people who have come into contact with the justice system. These include:
🔸 Disability supports
🔸 Mental health care
🔸 Reintegration supports
🔸 Residential support
🔸 Alcohol and Other Drug supports
🔸 Specialist complex care

If it weren’t for Stan, and people like him, people who have been through the justice system, who know it from the inside out and are determined to build something better, the work we do would not be possible.

👉 Learn more about ACSO’s history: www.acso.org.au/about-acso/our-history/

20/05/2026

Do you live in the Shoalhaven region? We want to hear from you!

Illawarra Shoalhaven CDAT (Community Drug Action Team) is running a short survey to better understand how alcohol is advertised and available in the local community.

✅ Complete the survey and you’ll go in the draw to win a $50 voucher.

At ACSO, we’re also keen to hear what locals think. We provide free, confidential alcohol and other drug (AOD) support to people living in the Shoalhaven area through our Shellharbour AOD Hub.

👉Learn more about ACSO’s AOD services:
www.acso.org.au/program-referral-type/aod/

Find out more about Shoalhaven Illawarra CDAT:
www.facebook.com/p/Illawarra-Shoalhaven-CDAT-61579198749064/

18/05/2026

At ACSO, we know that rebuilding life after prison is not a simple journey, and no one should have to do it alone.

For people with complex needs, including people with disabilities, the right support can make all the difference.

Our teams bring deep expertise in supporting people as they transition from prison back into community life, with care that is tailored, practical, and grounded in respect.

From housing and health to connection, stability, and belonging, we work alongside people to help create safer, stronger futures.

👉 Learn more about ACSO’s work: www.acso.org.au/program-referral-type/forensic-case-work/

14/05/2026

Early bird tickets are now available for ! 🐦

Join ACSO, Ermha and DFFH at the Complex Needs Conference 2026 from 30 September – 2 October at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) xhibition Centre for a vital conversation on building more connected, responsive and safer pathways for people with complex needs.

Secure your place early and be part of the collaboration driving change across the sector.

👉 Get your ticket now: www.complexneedsconference.com.au

13/05/2026

When a person’s prison sentence ends, what happens next?
For many people, the answer depends on the support available.

Put yourself in the shoes of someone leaving prison:

You likely have few connections or resources. Time in prison means you’ve lost access to employment, so you don’t have a regular income. Statistically, you are likely experiencing mental health challenges, alcohol or other drug concerns, or living with a disability. There's a high probability you don't have access to safe housing.

Add to this the debilitating stigma of having been in prison, and rebuilding your life might seem like an impossible task.

Without support, where would you even start?

In Australia, nearly 50% of people released from prison return within two years, according to the Sentencing Advisory Council.

That’s where ACSO’s reintegration services make a difference. We support people to navigate the transition from prison back into the community, so they can build stability and avoid returning to custody.

Our support includes:
🔸 Pre-release workshops
🔸 Day-of-release assistance
🔸 Specialised residential supports
🔸 Post-release links to essential services

We believe everyone deserves a chance. With the right support, prison can truly be a last resort.

👉 Learn more about how ACSO helps people rebuild their lives after prison: www.acso.org.au/program-referral-type/forensic-case-work/

🔗 Learn more about recidivism in Australia: www.sentencingcouncil.vic.gov.au/sentencing-statistics/released-prisoners-returning-to-prison

06/05/2026

Prison is too often the default response for people labelled “too complex” or “too high risk”. What’s really missing is the right support.

Safer communities don’t come from cycling people in and out of prison. They come from support that works: meeting people where they’re at, reducing harm, and helping them rebuild their lives.

For more than 40 years, ACSO has designed and delivered services that help people break cycles of justice system involvement.

Today, our deep forensic focus underpins intersecting specialist services across:
🔸 Disability
🔸 Mental health
🔸 Alcohol and other drugs (AOD)
🔸 Residential
🔸 Diversion
🔸 Youth services.

ACSO are experts in supporting people with overlapping or co-occurring challenges, where safety matters and the stakes are high.

That’s why we continue to work closely with government and community partners, to close gaps, make services easier to access, and grow the evidence base for what works.

👉 Where do you see the biggest gap in the reintegration and diversion pathway right now, and what would make the biggest difference? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.

04/05/2026

At ACSO, our values are at the heart of how we work, lead, and support one another every day.

Diana’s journey is a great example. She joined ACSO in 2019, starting at our Sunshine Hub, and has grown into a role with real breadth and impact, backed by leaders and teammates who genuinely care.

💬 As Diana puts it: “Working in the PX team at ACSO is incredibly rewarding. It’s a supportive, collaborative environment where people truly come first.”

That people first culture shows up in the way we welcome new starters, encourage learning, and make time to help each other navigate systems, change, and growth.

And it matters, especially when you’re building a new life and career in a new country: “As an immigrant from Colombia, being trusted, supported, and given the space to grow at ACSO has meant a great deal to me.”

📰 Read Diana's full story here: www.acso.org.au/individual-stories/diana-people-experience-advisor/

👉 If ACSO sounds like the kind of workplace you’re looking for, explore current opportunities and join us: www.acso.org.au/work-at-acso/

29/04/2026

POV: “You’re released from prison with no safe place to sleep. No income. No phone. No ID.”

👉 Where do you start?

For thousands of Australians, this isn’t hypothetical it’s reality. For people living with a disability or an ongoing mental health challenge, the struggle is even greater.

Without the right support, the path forward can feel impossible. It’s why 43% of people leaving prison return within two years.

If we want safer communities, the answer isn’t more prisons or harsher penalties.
It’s strong reintegration supports that give people a real chance to rebuild their lives.

That means access to:
🔸Safe and stable housing
🔸Disability and mental health supports
🔸Pathways into employment and income
🔸Essentials like food, ID and a mobile phone
🔸Alcohol and other drug supports.

At ACSO, we’ve spent more than 40 years delivering specialist reintegration services and we see the impact every day. When people are supported to rebuild, communities are safer in the long term.

ℹ Learn more about how our programs work: www.acso.org.au/our-programs/

27/04/2026

The real cost of prison in Australia might shock you.

Australian taxpayers now spend more than $7.3 billion every year on incarceration. That’s $159,510 per person, per year, paid with public money.

The numbers are even more confronting when it comes to children. Australia now spends over $1 billion annually imprisoning children, at a cost of $1,032,027 to detain just one child for a year.

So what return are taxpayers getting on this investment?

📉Not a good one. More than 50% of people released from prison return within two years, and for young people aged 10–16, a staggering 84.5% return to detention within 12 months.

At ACSO, we know there’s a better way.
✅ Early intervention and diversion
✅ Reintegration services
✅ Mental health support
✅ Safe housing
✅ Disability supports

These approaches reduce reoffending and lower long‑term costs for the community.

Prison should be a last resort, not a default. The real solution is investing in communities so people have the support they need to thrive.

👉Learn more about the work we do: www.acso.org.au/

📊Data via the Justice Reform Initiative: https://www.justicereforminitiative.org.au/media_release_new_data_reveals_soaring_prison_costs_across_australia_a_convict_country_following_the_american_model #:~:text=Australia's%20continued%20reliance%20on%20incarceration,fallen%20over%20the%20past%20decade

Address

469 La Trobe Street
Melbourne, VIC
3000

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

03 9413 7000

Website

http://www.acso.org.au/

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