Prisoners have received original letters from their loved ones since the establishment of Australia as a penal colony in 1788. However, the Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Amendment (Inmate Mail) Regulation 2020 (NSW) now prevents prisoners from receiving original letters and envelopes. Prisoners are now subject to receiving photocopies which comes with a host of issues. […]
Minister Questioned about Letters 8/11/23 Read More »
Social Solution for Mental Health Challenges
Social Solution for Mental Health Challenges Read More »
The Justice Action Team attended the second hearing on 16/10/2023, and many participants received the JA Media handout (accessible here). This is a report of the evidence in advance of the full transcript being available later. Whilst the first hearing looked at lived experience, the second hearing focused on evidence from practitioners, community support services,
NSW Parliament Mental Health Inquiry: Report on 16/10/23 (Hearing) Read More »
The Justice Action team attended the “Mental Health is a Universal Right” discussion on 17/10/23. This event was an innovative fish bowl style discussion co-hosted by the Australian Human Rights Commission and Being. The theme of the discussion was why “Mental Health is a Universal Right”. The fishbowl style of discussion allowed a non-hierarchical event
Report on Australian Human Rights Commission and Being Discussion 17/10/23 Read More »
Of the 149 submissions tendered to the Parliamentary Inquiry into mental health care in NSW, only the Tribunal actually making the forced treatment orders say they are good. Last year it had 6,500 hearings agreeing to almost 90% (p25). It said: ‘There have been many hearings where the Tribunal is presented with evidence that the
PARLIAMENTARY MENTAL INQUIRY – COERCION REJECTED 13/10/2023 Read More »
In the previous federal election, according to AEC figures, only 5% of detainees eligible to vote successfully enrolled. With 30% of detainees are Aboriginal these low rates of enrolment for those in custody are concerning as the coming Voice Referendum aims to empower Indigenous voices. In a nation-wide first, the ACT Acting Corrective Services Commissioner Narelle Pamplin has
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners disenfranchised with the Voice Read More »
Nairobi Kenya, May 1-5 2023 Overview Pan Africa CURE hosted the 9th International CURE conference in Nairobi, with 95 participants representing 28 countries. Committed to criminal justice and prison reform based on prisoner and human rights, many were from Africa, and participants included prior detainees from 3 continents. Pan Africa CURE is committed to supporting,
Report: The 9th International CURE Conference Read More »
by Hans Hallundbaek of Presbyterian Mission Agency (USA) A most relevant highlight of the Pan African CURE conference was a visit to the Naivasha maximum security male prison two hours’ drive into the stunning Rift Valley region of Kenya. Here, less than three miles from beautiful Lake Naivasha, reside more than 2,000 men incarcerated behind 20-foot-high concrete
Presbyterian Mission Media Release on the Naivasha Prison Visit Read More »
The Corrections Technology Conference in Adelaide, South Australia, was held by the International Corrections & Prisons Association (ICPA) – the world-leading professional body for corrections and prisons – from the 23rd-25th of May, 2023. Two Justice Action representatives attended the conference and presented the Nairobi Declaration for Detainee Telecommunication Rights to 300 delegates, asking for
Nairobi Declaration Principles Endorsed by ICPA Panel Read More »