Vacro

What Vacro does

Vacro is a Victorian not-for-profit charitable organisation, founded in 1873 as the Victorian Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders and rebranded to Vacro in January 2023. It is registered as a charity (ABN 47 004 426 162) and operates as Victoria's sole specialist criminal justice reintegration service, delivering programs to adults in contact with the justice system and their families across pre-release, transition, post-release, family-connection, housing, and employment domains. Service delivery is conducted directly inside at least nine named Victorian prisons (including Barwon, Beechworth, Dame Phyllis Frost, Hopkins, Marngoneet, Langi Kal Kal, Loddon, Metropolitan Remand Centre, and Tarrengower) and in community settings such as the Second Chance Cycles workshop in Collingwood.

Its core product set comprises ReLink (voluntary pre-release transition planning), ReConnect (post-release community-based case management), Arc (two-year specialist housing and case management delivered with community housing partners), Family Visits Program (supported virtual video visits), Family Therapy Program, Second Chance Jobs (employment linkage at the gate), and Second Chance Cycles (community bike refurbishment). The technology stack is human-delivered social services; there are no disclosed software products, AI systems, APIs, or proprietary platforms. Outcomes cited on the website include 11,070 people receiving pre-release support, 901 people on tailored post-release transition plans, and 65% of Indigenous participants reporting improved independent living skills.

Vacro's revenue model blends government program contracts — principally with the Department of Justice and Community Safety — Corrections Victoria, funding ReLink and the Family Visits Program — with philanthropic donations (one-off, recurring, and bequests) from individuals and organisations. Services are delivered at no cost to participants. The organisation is governed by an independent volunteer board with a Patron-in-Chief (the Governor of Victoria) and is led by CEO Marius Smith (appointed June 2019). Headcount is in the 11–50 range, with offices in Melbourne (headquarters) and Collingwood, and operations confined to Victoria, Australia.

Name

Vacro

Legal name

Vacro

Website

https://vacro.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1873

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vacro is a Victorian not-for-profit founded in 1873 that delivers specialist criminal justice reintegration services — pre-release planning, post-release case management, housing support, family programs, and employment linkage — to adults incarcerated or exiting prison and their families across Victoria, Australia, funded primarily by Corrections Victoria and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Criminal Justice Reintegration Services

NAICS

Social Assistance (624), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Reentry & Justice-Involved Support Services (BPAGAEAN)

Keywords

• Criminal justice reintegration
• Post-release support services
• Pre-release transition planning
• Family connection programs
• Housing and case management

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Vacro receives funding from the Department of Justice and Community Safety — Corrections Victoria to deliver programs including ReLink and Family Visits Program.
2. Donations and Philanthropy: Vacro accepts charitable donations from individuals and organizations to support their programs and services. The organization operates as a registered charity (ABN 47 004 426 162).

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Vacro is a Victorian not-for-profit that supports adults in contact with the criminal justice system and their families through coordinated pre-release transition planning (ReLink), post-release case management (ReConnect), specialized housing and case management (Arc), family therapy, virtual family visits, employment linkage (Second Chance Jobs), and a community bike workshop (Second Chance Cycles). Services are delivered at no cost to participants across Victorian prisons and in the community, funded primarily by the Department of Justice and Community Safety — Corrections Victoria and philanthropic donations.

Product overview

Vacro offers a suite of coordinated reintegration programs for adults in contact with Victoria's criminal justice system. The core programs include ReLink (pre-release transition planning), ReConnect (post-release case management), and Arc (specialized housing and case management support). Family-focused offerings include the Family Therapy Program and Family Visits Program (video visits). Employment support is provided through Second Chance Jobs, while Second Chance Cycles offers community-based bicycle refurbishment. These programs work together to address housing, employment, family connection, and practical reintegration needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Arc: Homelessness support program providing specialised case management and housing support to people leaving prison, named to signify the arc of new beginnings.
• ReLink
• ReConnect
• Family Visits Program
• Family Therapy Program
• Second Chance Cycles
• Second Chance Jobs

Products and services

• ReLink Voluntary pre-release program providing practical assistance and tailored support through facilitated group sessions and individual transition planning for people preparing to reintegrate into the community. Delivered as part of Corrections Victoria's Reintegration Pathway since 2015.
• ReConnect Personalised, community-based post-release case management support for people upon release from prison, helping them sustain housing, employment, and family connections after leaving custody.
• Arc Specialized case management and housing support program providing two years of post-release support to people leaving prison, delivered in partnership with community housing providers to reduce reoffending and homelessness.
• Family Visits Program Virtual video visit program enabling people in Victoria's prisons to maintain family connections through supported video visits; developed from 2021 onward.
• Family Therapy Program Program supporting parents on both sides of the prison gate along with their families, addressing family reunification and the needs of children of incarcerated parents.
• Second Chance Jobs Employment support program linking people leaving prisons with jobs at the gate.
• Second Chance Cycles Community bike workshop that recycles, refurbishes and donates bicycles in the local Collingwood community, located at 64 Harmsworth Street, Collingwood VIC 3066.

Quantifiable outcome

• 11,070 people have received pre-release support
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Community Housing ProviderscoreOthersHousing is provided through partnerships with community housing providers as part of the Arc Program, which provides specialised case management and housing support to people leaving prison.
• Department of Justice and Community Safety — Corrections VictoriacoreOthersFunded by the Department of Justice and Community Safety — Corrections Victoria for programs including ReLink and Family Visits Program. Corrections Victoria is part of the Victorian Government's reintegration pathway for people leaving prison.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Shine for Kids: Australian charity supporting children and families affected by parental incarceration. Highly comparable to Vacro's Family Therapy Program and Family Visits Program, serving the same family-of-incarcerated cohort across multiple Australian states.
• Jesuit Social Services: Victoria-based not-for-profit delivering advocacy, mental health, and justice reintegration programs. Directly comparable to Vacro as a specialist justice-involved social services provider in the same geography with overlapping program areas (case management, housing, employment support).
• Sisters Inside: Queensland-based advocacy and support organization for women and girls in contact with the criminal justice system. Comparable as a specialist justice-involved non-profit, with similar case management and policy advocacy functions, though focused on a gendered cohort.
• Community Restorative Centre: NSW-based specialist non-profit providing throughcare, post-release, and reintegration support for people leaving prison and their families. Closely comparable to Vacro in mission, participant cohort, and program design, operating in an adjacent Australian jurisdiction.

Broad incumbents

• Anglicare Victoria: Major Victorian community services provider with family, housing, and youth justice programs. Operates in the same Victorian footprint as Vacro with broader service breadth and could compete for reentry-specific government contracts.
• Uniting (Uniting Vic.Tas): Large Victorian/Tasmanian community services organization with family, housing, and justice-related programs. Comparable service mix with broader scale, positioning it as a potential competitor or partner for reentry and family-connection contracts.
• Mission Australia: National community services organization delivering housing, employment, and justice-involved support programs. Competes with Vacro for government reentry contracts and donor dollars, with greater geographic diversification.
• Salvation Army Australia: Large national charitable organization operating prison chaplaincy, reintegration, housing, and family support programs across all Australian states. Overlaps with Vacro's service portfolio but at much larger scale and with broader non-justice mandates.

Emerging players

• YSAS (Youth Support + Advocacy Service): Victorian not-for-profit focused on young people affected by substance use, mental health, and justice involvement. Adjacent to Vacro's adult-focused reintegration work, with overlapping family-connection and case management capabilities for a younger cohort.

Regional players

• Melbourne City Mission: Victoria-based community services organization with established homelessness, family, and justice-exit programs. Directly comparable in geography and program overlap; one of Vacro's senior leaders previously led homelessness responses at MCM.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ReintegrationAu
• Facebookfacebook.com/vacroau
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vacro

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vacro