ISSUE NO. 21
April 2026
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Letters

Autism and Mental Illness: Prison Isn’t the Right Place

By
Garry

Garry writes from a prison in TAS.

Ye Jinghan via Unsplash

To About Time,

Hey guys, great newspaper. Absolutely love it.

I would just like to mention a few things I’ve noticed around prison regarding inmates with both autistic and mental illness traits. Who says these inmates are right to go to prison and not a hospital?

It seems to me prison staff also need training regarding mental health and inmates with autism like myself. Just seems a little unfair to lock someone up who doesn’t see the world same as a “normal” person would.

Furthermore, it isn’t fair to prison staff who have to deal with these unusual behaviours. Autistic, Aspergers – anyone who is on the “spectrum” should undergo some sort of different situation rather than mainstream prison.

Regards,

Garry

To About Time,

Hey guys, great newspaper. Absolutely love it.

I would just like to mention a few things I’ve noticed around prison regarding inmates with both autistic and mental illness traits. Who says these inmates are right to go to prison and not a hospital?

It seems to me prison staff also need training regarding mental health and inmates with autism like myself. Just seems a little unfair to lock someone up who doesn’t see the world same as a “normal” person would.

Furthermore, it isn’t fair to prison staff who have to deal with these unusual behaviours. Autistic, Aspergers – anyone who is on the “spectrum” should undergo some sort of different situation rather than mainstream prison.

Regards,

Garry

Lessons from Bees

By Muhamed

Prison teaches people to hold back. To keep to themselves. To give as little as possible. To protect what little energy or hope they have left. When everything feels limited – time, freedom, trust – it makes sense to think that giving more will leave you with less. But the bee lives by a different rule.

Letters

ISSUE NO. 22

2 MIN READ

Albany Prisoners on Lockdowns

By Prisoners at Albany Prison, WA

We are not sure who to write to or who we can talk to about theses matters. We are hoping someone reads our letter and can point us in the right direction to have our voices heard.

Letters

ISSUE NO. 22

1 MIN READ

Rights for Foreign Prisoners

By Luiing

If foreign prisoners have been sentenced under same law as Australians, then it’s extremely important that they have right to be treat equally in their imprisonment – on humanitarian grounds.

Letters

ISSUE NO. 22

2 MIN READ

Not Cool: Heat and Overcrowding in TMCC

By Dane

The following is in response to the article by Denham Sadler titled “Sweltering Behind Bars: Stifling Heat in Australian prisons”.

Letters

ISSUE NO. 22

2 MIN READ

Welcome to About Time

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

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