Australia's National
Prison Newspaper

Australia's National
Prison Newspaper

Welcome to About Time

About Time is the national newspaper for Australian prisons and detention facilities

Your browser window currently does not have enough height, or is zoomed in too far to view our website content correctly. Once the window reaches the minimum required height or zoom percentage, the content will display automatically.

Alternatively, you can learn more via the links below.

Donations via GiveNow

Email

Instagram

LinkedIn

ISSUE NO. 14

September 2025

ISSUE NO. 14

+

Sections

September 2025

Donate Here

Legal Corner

Legal Q&A

“If prisoners break the law in prison, does it get taken to the police and the courts?”

Anonymous

The author writes from a prison in VIC.

Ethan Cassidy

Font Size
Font Size
Line Height
Line Height
Dyslexia Friendly
Black & White
Hide Images
Night Mode
Answer by Volunteer Barristers for About Time

Yes. If it is alleged that you have committed an offence in custody, you may be charged by police and the matter could go through the courts like any other offence.

If you are accused of committing an offence while you are in prison, it may be dealt with through an internal disciplinary process in the prison or it may go through the courts like an alleged offence in the community would.

This will likely depend on the seriousness of the alleged offence.

If this happens, it is important for you to get legal advice.

If you are charged with breaking a rule in prison, this can result in disciplinary action, in addition to potential criminal charges.

You have the right to a fair disciplinary hearing. In this hearing, a hearing officer will tell you about the procedure in the hearing, read the charge out to you and give you an opportunity to plead guilty or not guilty.

How the rest of the hearing will play out depends on whether you plead guilty or not guilty.

If you plead guilty, you will then be able to make a plea about what penalty you should receive, something that is called “submissions”. In submissions, you can talk about why the offence happened, what was happening to you at the time it happened and whether it’s the first time you have been in trouble for something like this.

If you plead not guilty, the hearing officer will likely then hear from witnesses, look at relevant information and listen to arguments on both sides. They will then make a decision about whether the prison offence occurred or not.

If you attend this hearing, you will have a chance to respond and present your own evidence.

Answer by Volunteer Barristers for About Time

Yes. If it is alleged that you have committed an offence in custody, you may be charged by police and the matter could go through the courts like any other offence.

If you are accused of committing an offence while you are in prison, it may be dealt with through an internal disciplinary process in the prison or it may go through the courts like an alleged offence in the community would.

This will likely depend on the seriousness of the alleged offence.

If this happens, it is important for you to get legal advice.

If you are charged with breaking a rule in prison, this can result in disciplinary action, in addition to potential criminal charges.

You have the right to a fair disciplinary hearing. In this hearing, a hearing officer will tell you about the procedure in the hearing, read the charge out to you and give you an opportunity to plead guilty or not guilty.

How the rest of the hearing will play out depends on whether you plead guilty or not guilty.

If you plead guilty, you will then be able to make a plea about what penalty you should receive, something that is called “submissions”. In submissions, you can talk about why the offence happened, what was happening to you at the time it happened and whether it’s the first time you have been in trouble for something like this.

If you plead not guilty, the hearing officer will likely then hear from witnesses, look at relevant information and listen to arguments on both sides. They will then make a decision about whether the prison offence occurred or not.

If you attend this hearing, you will have a chance to respond and present your own evidence.

Laws Around Strip Searches in Prisons

Laws Around Strip Searches in Prisons

Laws Around Strip Searches in Prisons

By Daniel Vansetten
By Daniel Vansetten

Strip searching is a security practice purportedly used by prison authorities to prevent drugs and other contraband from entering prisons.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 12

4 MIN READ

Legal Q&A

Legal Q&A

Legal Q&A

Question from someone imprisoned in VIC
Question from someone imprisoned in VIC

There are lots of reasons why people may get lighter or heavier sentences than someone else who has committed the same crime.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 15

2 MIN READ

New Virtual Bail Courts in NSW

New Virtual Bail Courts in NSW

New Virtual Bail Courts in NSW

An explainer from the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) Limited
An explainer from the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) Limited

The way the NSW court system deals with bail hearings on weekdays has changed.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 14

2 MIN READ

Bail: Common Questions

Bail: Common Questions

Bail: Common Questions

By Meg Tait and About Time (with help from Uther Webster & Evans Solicitors and Daniel Vansetten)
By Meg Tait and About Time (with help from Uther Webster & Evans Solicitors and Daniel Vansetten)

Bail is a promise you can make that you will return to court. It means you can stay in the community (instead of jail) until your legal matters finish. If you are being held in custody and you haven’t been found guilty, you may be able to apply for bail.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 3

15 MIN READ

Leave a Comment

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
0 Comments
Author Name
Comment Time

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere. uis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Silence May Be Golden, but Is It a ‘Right’?

By Daniel Vansetten

In law, silence is considered a fundamental right that provides fairness in criminal proceedings.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 9

5 MIN READ

Common Human Rights Issues in Prison

By Prisoners’ Legal Service (Queensland)

This article discusses some of the human rights that may be relevant in prison with reference to human rights protections under the Human Rights Act 2019 (QLD) in Queensland.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 8

6 MIN READ

Legal Q&A – No Body, No Parole

By About Time

I wonder if you could explain the new "No Body No Parole" law in New South Wales, where now people charged with murder or manslaughter need letters from the head of police?

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 8

3 MIN READ

The Federal Election: Voting and More

By About Time

The federal election is coming up. It happens about every three years. It’s for electing the government for the whole country – the federal government.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 8

9 MIN READ

Get the full paper in print each month.

6-Month Subscription:

Physical copy of About Time delivered to your home or organisation each month for six months. Paid upfront.

Subscribe for $70

12-Month Subscription:

Physical copy of About Time delivered to your home or organisation each month for twelve months. Paid upfront.

Subscribe for $125

Newsletter

Be the first to learn about our monthly stories, plus new initiatives and live events

You've successfully registered!
Something went wrong when we tried to register your details. Please try again.

Support Australia's First National Prison Newspaper

A place for news and education, expression and hope

Help keep the momentum going. All donations will be vital in providing an essential resource for people in prison and their loved ones.

All donations of $2 or more are tax deductible. If you would like to pay directly into our bank account to avoid the processing fee, please contact donate@abouttime.org.au. ABN 67 667 331 106.

It's
About Time.

A place for news and education, expression and hope.

Help us get About Time off the ground. All donations are tax deductible and will be vital in providing an essential resource for people in prison and their loved ones.

Donate Here

Newsletter

Be the first to learn about our monthly stories, plus new initiatives and live events

You've successfully registered!
Something went wrong when we tried to register your details. Please try again.