Australia's National
Prison Newspaper

Australia's National
Prison Newspaper

Australia's National
Prison Newspaper

ISSUE NO. 18
JANUARY 2026

News and Investigations

Each edition contains news articles and investigative pieces. These are topical stories that are usually about prisons and criminal justice.

We also summarise the latest criminal justice news around the country.

Latest
Police Installed Prison Listening Devices Without Proper Warrants
By Denham Sadler

“It is our assessment that Victoria Police did not comply with the Surveillance Devices Act when installing and maintaining integrated listening devices,” the report said.

ISSUE NO. 18
3 MIN READ
Willy Pleasance
United Nations Visit Australian Prisons
By Stacey Stokes

In early December, the United Nations (UN) Working Group on Arbitrary Detention visited Australia. Their purpose was to provide guidance on how international human rights standards apply to prisons and places of detention.

ISSUE NO. 18
2 MIN READ
Mathias Reding via Unsplash
Around the Country – December 2025
By About Time

Including a Victorian man suing for his right to have Vegemite in prison, a new framework for rehabilitation being launched by NT Corrections, a QLD Watchdog calling separation rooms in youth prisons ‘inhumane’ and more.

ISSUE NO. 18
8 MIN READ
Ethan Cassidy
Cleveland’s Death Was Preventable, Predictable and Predicted: Coroner
By Denham Sadler

The death of a 16-year-old First Nations teenager in a notorious youth unit of an adult prison in Western Australia was preventable and predictable, and the result of “serious longstanding deficiencies in the system, a Coroner has found.

ISSUE NO. 18
2 MIN READ
Impacts of Proposed New Freedom of Information Laws
By Daniel Vansetten

Obtaining information from federal agencies is about to become subject to stricter rules under the Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025 (Cth).

ISSUE NO. 18
2 MIN READ
Willy Pleasance
Palliative Care in Prison and the Push for Change
By Sophie Lawson

End-of-life care, also known as palliative care, is a healthcare process that aims to improve the quality of life and reduce the suffering of those who are terminally ill. Being incarcerated can make this stage of life even more complicated.

ISSUE NO. 18
3 MIN READ
Dominik Lange via Unsplash
BREAKING
‘Overcrowded, Degraded and Infested with Cockroaches’: Inspection Finds Broome Prison Still Not Fit-For-Purpose
By Denham Sadler

A remote WA prison holding mostly First Nations people is “unfit for purpose”, with people sleeping on the floors and cockroach infestations.

3 MIN READ
Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services
BREAKING
Court Finds Victorian Prisons Are Not Providing Adequate ‘Open Air’
By Denham Sadler

A number of Victorian prisons may have to be renovated or rebuilt after the Supreme Court found that no “open air” was being provided to inmates in multiple units.

BREAKING
3 MIN READ
Willy Pleasance
BREAKING
QLD Moves to Restrict Voting Rights of People in Prison
By Denham Sadler

The Liberal Queensland government has announced plans to significantly minimise the rights to vote for people in prison.

BREAKING
2 MIN READ
Ike Curtis
Archive
ISSUE NO. 14
September 2025

The Dark Side of Gains

By Ronin Cruise

Australian men are bulking up at alarming rates. But there’s a toxic truth beneath it all: steroid use.

2 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 14
September 2025

Rethinking Risk Assessments in Prison Settings

Stacey Stokes interviews Emma Russell

When an individual is assigned a risk classification of low, medium, or high risk by corrections, they have been given this classification through a risk assessment.

3 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 14
September 2025

Around the Country – August 2025

By About Time

Including WA Federal Government raising concerns with criminal justice reforms, SA prison placement guidelines reviewed, child incarceration rates increasing in NSW and more.

6 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 14
September 2025

Heather Calgaret Inquest: Her Life Was Precious and Her Passing Was Preventable

This is a shortened version of a media release from Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS), originally published on the day of the inquest findings

Heather Calgaret was a proud Yamatji, Noongar, Wongi and Pitjantjatjara woman.

4 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 14
September 2025

‘Navigating a Minefield’: The Mental Health Crisis in Australia’s Prisons

By Denham Sadler and Rosie Heselev

It’s estimated that about a third of all people in prison in Australia have a mental health diagnosis. Despite the huge need for support and care, a lack of staffing across the country has meant that many people in prison have been unable to get help.

3 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 13
August 2025

End-of-Life Care in Prisons: A Call for Compassion

By Sam Harris

I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to grow old, especially for those behind bars. It’s a reality we often overlook, but the prison population is aging, and with that comes a growing need for something we all deserve: compassionate care at the end of life. This isn’t just about medical treatment; it’s about basic human dignity.

4 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 13
August 2025

Around the Country – July 2025

By About Time

Including Victoria increasing jail time for posting crimes online, ACT raising the age of criminal responsibility, WA calling for internet access for those studying on the inside and more.

2-3 MIN READ EACH
ISSUE NO. 13
August 2025

Reintegration Conference Held in Alice Springs

By About Time

In June, people from across the country gathered in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) for the 18th Reintegration Puzzle Conference – an annual event for those working in justice reform, as well as those with lived experience of prison and reintegration.

3 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 13
August 2025

How Your Prison Journey Can Lead to Meaningful Work

By Stacey Stokes

People who’ve been incarcerated have a unique and valuable perspective. Remember – lived experience can open doors to meaningful employment once you’re released. It could be a fulfilling job filled with community, purpose and support.

3 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 13
August 2025

Prison Voting Sees Dramatic Rise Across Australia

By Denham Sadler

Nearly 10,000 people in prison voted in the recent federal election – a massive increase from previous polls.

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

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