ISSUE NO. 20
March 2026
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Letters

An Idea to Reduce Drugs and Violence in Prison

By
Melissa

Melissa writes from a prison in WA.

Willy Pleasance

To About Time,

I have been in the system a long time. I believe that we as prisoners should be heard a lot more.

I’ve written to nearly everyone available to us on the confidential mail envelopes with my idea that I believe will reduce drugs through the prison system and also reduce violence.

If we had the opportunity to get two months off every 12 months of our sentences for good behaviour, with the condition of being completely drug free with no instigation of violence at all, believe me, every single person will reconsider misbehaving and getting high.

But the decision is left to the prison officers who have daily interactions with us to decide. I don’t believe a prisoner review board who know us merely by our past behaviour is sufficient.

The only response I’ve gotten from my letters with this idea is that it would require legislative changes and not even the Minister for Corrective Services could give me someone to write to to change legislations. Hopefully you can help.

Thank you

To About Time,

I have been in the system a long time. I believe that we as prisoners should be heard a lot more.

I’ve written to nearly everyone available to us on the confidential mail envelopes with my idea that I believe will reduce drugs through the prison system and also reduce violence.

If we had the opportunity to get two months off every 12 months of our sentences for good behaviour, with the condition of being completely drug free with no instigation of violence at all, believe me, every single person will reconsider misbehaving and getting high.

But the decision is left to the prison officers who have daily interactions with us to decide. I don’t believe a prisoner review board who know us merely by our past behaviour is sufficient.

The only response I’ve gotten from my letters with this idea is that it would require legislative changes and not even the Minister for Corrective Services could give me someone to write to to change legislations. Hopefully you can help.

Thank you

This
letter
was originally printed in the
March 2026
edition of About Time.

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Welcome to About Time

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

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