Duty of Care Australian police and correctional services have a duty of care to all prisoners. This duty of care must ensure the safety of all prisoners, by ensuring their physical and mental health needs are met in a swift and effective manner to prevent harm to the individual or others. Tragic and preventable deaths […]
Deaths in Custody: Focus Areas Read More »
Latest News Report of LHDs Implementation of Miriam Merten Reforms Failed Health Department Plan Media Release 16th May 2018 Miriam Merton Mental Hospital Death Inquiry Media Release 22nd December 2017 Miriam Merton Mental Hospital Death Inquiry Media Release 9th November 2017 Miriam Merten health department inquiry Submission to the Legislative Assembly Public Accounts Committee –
Death of Miriam Merten Read More »
Aboriginal Deaths in Custody Watch Committee is an Indigenous community organisation monitoring the treatment of Aboriginal people in police and justice custody. A main focus of the Watch Committee is to monitor any deaths in custody, including police pursuits, and any breaches of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody Recommendations. Our mandate includes
August 2018 On 16 August, Malcolm Baker won his case at a hearing before the Mental Health Review Tribunal. He will no longer be forcibly medicated. In the past, Justice Action has appeared with Malcolm before the Mental Health Review Tribunal on six separate occasions to fight for his right to refuse medication. His last
Victory! Malcolm’s Forced Medication Stopped: August 2018 Read More »
Intensive Corrections Orders (ICOs) exist as an effective alternative sentencing model that can work to address the growing issue of prison overcrowding in New South Wales. As a community based approach, ICOs allow offenders to serve their sentence within a community setting in an environment that fosters rehabilitation, working to improve recidivism rates while reducing
Intensive Correction Orders Read More »
Electronic Monitoring (EM) can be defined as the use of tamper-proof electronic device that transmits signals to correctional authorities to monitor offenders. This enables them to determine whether the offender wearing the device is abiding by the particular conditions imposed upon them as part of the sentence. Whilst EM has limited use in Australia, it
Electronic Monitoring Read More »
Home Detention is an alternative to incarceration where the offender serves their sentence in a confined area at an approved residence for a specific period of time, pursuant to the Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Act. Although often given to offenders with less serious convictions, home detention has some serious problems. These include the shift of the financial
Over the coming four years, $3.8 billion will be spent by Correctional Services NSW to build new prisons. The prison-boom policy, which would build 7000 additional prison beds at a cost of $1 millions per cell, has been driven by media reports that, while aiming to inform, serve the purpose of increasing the feelings of
Former Inspector attacks prison building Read More »
Lange v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1997) All Australian citizens have a constitutional right to engage in political communication not limited to election periods. Lange v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1997)[1] is the leading authority for the implied freedom of political communication in the Australian Constitution: “…each member of the Australian community has an interest in disseminating
CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTION FOR ‘JUST US’: Read More »