The Tasmanian Aboriginal Legal Service says it is not surprised by figures released by the Labor Party about Tasmania Prison Service staffing shortages.

Released by the Labor Party on Monday, figures obtained through right to information indicate the Tasmanian Prison Service (TPS) spent more than $30 million on overtime in just over two years, despite almost 40 prison officer positions left unfilled under a government vacancy control measure.

In the 2024-25 financial year the TPS spent $13.9 million in overtime, a figure which rose to more than $15 million in 2025-26. A further $2.9 million has been spent on nearly 27,700 hours so far this financial year, which Labor said puts the 2026-27 bill on track to exceed $17 million.

TALS chief executive Jake Smith said prison staff shortages have led to regular lockdowns.

"The number of lockdowns has a massive impact on those in TPS custody," Mr Smith said.

"We know programs are impacted that support rehabilitation, time out of cells and the ability to connect with family and culture - which is particularly important for Aboriginal people who are overrepresented.

"We also know firsthand that legal and other professional appointments and visits are impacted, which affect various things including the courts system"

Labor MP and shadow police minister, Jen Butler, labelled the spend "a huge waste of taxpayer dollars".

"The government has been talking for the last 10 years about these recruitment drives and about fixing the correctional officers' expectations and how much overtime they are expected to work, and there has been no change," she said, The Mercury reports.

"In fact, it's actually become worse over the last ten years."

Ms Butler said "imagine what that would look like" if the same amount of money was invested in the Tasmanian public service.

"It's another indication of not fixing a problem in time," she said.

"We also have the worst lockdowns in the country when it comes to our correctional services.

"We also have the most expensive prison service in the country per capita to run as well."

Mr Smith said the TPS' "vision" is to improve the lives of those committed to their care and to deliver social and economic benefit to community.

"The impact of TPS staff shortages to the individuals in their care and cost of overtime clearly does not support the TPS vision," he said.

Liberal minister Nick Duigan said there were valid reasons for increased staffing demand in Tasmanian prisons.

"This is around public safety, this is around the community telling us that they want, you know, violent offenders off the street, and we're doing that," he said.

"As the prison population has grown, so too we have recruited more corrections officers, more than 200 corrections officers, as I understand it, since coming to government, and we are in the market recruiting for more corrections officers.

"Again, we need to provide a safe public space for people and that has an impact on our prison system. We're working on delivering an outcome there as well."

According to the Tasmanian Department of Justice, Indigenous people accounted for 251 out of 569, or 30.6 per cent, of Tasmanian prisoners during the October 2025 - March 2026 reporting period.

Mr Smith said TALS has proposed several justice reinvestment initiatives in recent years to reduce the pressure on Tasmania's prison system.

They include a bail support program which TALS says would reduce the high number of those in custody who are unsentenced on remand — something the Aboriginal service says is "particularly prevalent" considering the overrepresentation of Aboriginal people.

"This bail support program would improve outcomes for individuals, reduce the work at TPS with custody numbers, and improve staff ratios, yet time and time again this is overlooked," Mr Smith said.