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

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ISSUE NO. 27
October 2026
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Topics

Mental Health

ISSUE NO. 28
November 2026
Letters
Prison Q&A: Justin
By Justin

An interview with Justin, from a prison in NSW.

3 MIN READ
A green charcoal illustration of a person, looking to the left.
ISSUE NO. 24
July 2026
Letters
Remand is Stressful
By S.

The majority of prison staff try their best and you feel some actually care.

1 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 21
April 2026
Letters
Autism and Mental Illness: Prison Isn’t the Right Place
By Garry

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?

1 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 27
October 2026
News and Investigations
Around the Country – September 2026
By About Time

Including suppression orders being banned for some offenders in VIC, good character to be scrapped in sentencing in WA, major changes made to remand processes in NSW and more.

4 MIN READ
A green charcoal illustration of Australia, with the states defined.
ISSUE NO. 26
September 2026
News and Investigations
Around the Country – August 2026
By About Time

Including prison policy changes being tracked online in the ACT, concerns in the NT over a lack of a forensic mental health unit, new gym equipment coming to Western Plains in VIC and more.

5 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 14
September 2025
News and Investigations
‘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. 16
November 2025
Experiences
Living With Autism in Prison
By Ashleigh Chapman and Dan Vansetten

Prisons de-individualise and dehumanise people. This is often more apparent for people who already do not fit the mold of a “normal person”, such as those with autism spectrum disorder (autism).

4 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 2
August 2024
Experiences
Guide for Those on Remand
By J.J.A.L.

Remand. Difficult times. Difficult times!!! Being on remand, in my opinion, is one of the most trying and testing parts of being in jail.

7 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 26
September 2026
Health
How to Manage Stress in Prison
By Alison Cullen

Stress is an unavoidable part of life, but within a prison environment it is often increased by uncertainty, loss of freedom, separation from loved ones, conflict, boredom, and concerns about the future.

3 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 4
October 2024
Health
Dealing With Mental Health in Prison
By Annalise de Groot

Sadness. Stress. Fear. These emotions feel like they are swallowing us whole. When we feel these emotions, it is hard to see anything other than the feeling, especially when in prison. Every emotion has a message behind it.

4 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 26
September 2026
Reintegration
The Freedom Nobody Prepared Me For
By Sam G

Not once did somebody ask me what I needed, what mattered to me, or what healing looked like from my perspective.

3 MIN READ
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