Category: Prison Issues Update

January 2012

Please find the following material from Australia and overseas related to substance use and rehabilitation in prisons and the criminal justice system for the month of January 2011:

................................................................................................................................................

Reports & Publications

Iakobishvili E (2011). Inflicting Harm: Judicial corporal punishment for drug and alcohol offences in selected countries. International Harm Reduction Association, London.

This report provides a discussion of international laws relating to corporal punishment as a response to alcohol and drug offenses. It shows that corporal punishment is cruel, unusual or degrading punishment, and sometimes torture, and thus is contrary to international treaties and conventions. The report then presents information on the use of corporal punishment in 12 counties.

Justice Action (2012). Pricking the Bubble Around Prison NSPs.

The paper recommends introducing regulated NSPs into prisons and increasing access to HCV treatment and provides an overview of evidence relating to the risks of prison NSPs. The evidence indicates that the introduction of NSPs is likely to improve workplace safety for corrections officers through improving the prison environment; and that prison guards are more likely to have contact with used syringes during cell searches in prisons without NSPs, than they are to suffer needle-stick injuries or attacks in prisons with NSPs.

Jones C (2011). Intensive judicial supervision and drug court outcomes: Interim findings from a randomised controlled trial. Crime and Justice Bulletin no. 152.

The paper reports interim findings which strongly suggest that intensive supervision of drug court participants at early stages reduces drug use and sanctioning rates.

Recent Research Articles

Forsberg LG, Ernst D, Sundqvist K, Farbring CA. (2011). Motivational Interviewing delivered by existing prison staff: a randomized controlled study of effectiveness on substance use after release.

Substance Use & Misuse 46 (12):1477-85. Abstract

Popova S, Lange S, Bekmuradov D, Mihic A, Rehm J. (2011). Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder prevalence estimates in correctional systems: a systematic literature review. Canadian Journal of Public Health 102 (5): 336-40. Abstract

Larney S, Topp L, Indig D, O'Driscoll C, Greenberg D. (2012). A Cross-sectional survey of prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among prisoners in New South Wales. BMC Public Health 12:14. Abstract Free full text

Gowan T, Whetstone S. (2012). Making the criminal addict: Subjectivity and social control in a strong-arm rehab. Punishment and Society 14 (1): 69-93. Abstract

Marques NM, Margalho R, Melo MJ, Cunha JG, Melico-Silvestre AA. (2011) Seroepidemiological survey of transmissible infectious diseases in a portuguese prison establishment. Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases 15 (3): 272-5. Abstract

News and Media

National

Productivity report shows WA lagging behind (31 Jan)

Indigenous role model Matthew Myers is here to help (27 Jan)

Prison trouble brewing for months (19 Jan)

Prison drug ring smashed by police (19 Jan)

Prison boss avoids needle row (14 Jan)

Call for forced medication after prison death (12 Jan)

Advocates seek probe on death in custody (11 Jan)

Prison needle exchange talks continue (11 Jan)

A ‘miracle’ so few die in NT jails (Jan 10)

Prison release conditions ‘outageous’ (10 Jan)

Let evidence, not polls, decide law and order policy, politicians told (10 Jan)

Territory police ‘need to go further’ in alcohol crackdown (9 Jan)

Imprisonment can do a grave injustice to the intellectually impaired (29 Dec)

Compulsory treatment push for Aboriginal petrol sniffers (27 Dec)

Aboriginal crime and punishment: Incarceration rates rise under neoliberalism (15 Dec)

Prison suicide prompts call for change (17 Dec)

International

Dozens injured in Sri Lanka prison riots (25 Jan, Sri Lanka)

Meth fills hospitals with burn patients (23 Jan, US)

Crack cocaine sentence reductions create inmate traffic in court (17 Jan, US)

Drug testing key to stopping rogue cops (16 Jan, US)

Deal: State must effectively treat drug addicts to cut prison costs (10 Jan, US)

Do neighborhoods influence juvenile crime? (5 Jan, US)

Mental health issues hit 4 out of 5 at Styal women’s prison (3 Jan, UK)

Supreme Court ponders drug dog’s sniff (3 Jan, US)

Media releases

The state government needs to review its ‘tough on crime’ policies in light of the Fulham prison riots (19 January, Jesuit Social Services)

Youth Justice Conferences (31 Jan, NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research)

Needle exchange: Still no decision, still no leadership (10 Jan, Canberra Liberals)

Independent taskforce appointed to drive new indigenous justice strategy (7 Dec, Queensland government)

Further resources

Australia

Find recent Law, Crime & Justice stories on ABC Radio National here.

Useful links to research and publications:
Corrective Services Australia (ABS)
Prisoners in Australia (ABS)
Report on Government Services 2012 (Productivity Commission)
Corrective Services management and reform (AIC)
Prisoner health and juvenile justice (AIHW)
Research and publications (No Bars)
Standard Guidelines for Corrections in Australia (revised) 2004

NSW

Find recent Prisons and Punishment stories from ABC Sydney here.

Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) Find the latest research and statistics and media releases from the CSNSW website here.

NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR)
BOCSAR is the State’s official source of NSW crime statistics. Find the latest BOSCAR crime statistics, criminal court statistics, publications, and media releases from their website here.

Justice Health (NSW Government)

Justice Health provides health care in a complex environment to people in the adult correctional system, to those in courts and police cells, to juvenile detainees and to those within the NSW forensic mental health system and in the community. Find Justice Health publications from the Justice Health website here.

Qld

Find recent Prisons and Punishment stories from ABC Brisbane here.

Queensland Corrective Services (QCS)
Find the latest resources and publications at the QCS website here.

WA

Find recent Prisons and Punishment stories from ABC Perth here.

Western Australian Department of Corrective Services (WADCS)
Find the latest statistics and publications from the WADCS website here.

Crime Research Centre (CRC)
The CRC at the University of Western Australia publishes annual crime and justice statistics which have enhanced understanding of the extent of the crime problem in the state and trends in criminal justice. Find reports and statistics from the CRC website here.

Vic

Find recent Prisons and Punishment stories from ABC Melbourne here.

Victorian Department of Justice
Find the latest research and statistics from the VDJ website here.

Tasmania

Find recent Prisons and Punishment stories from ABC Hobart here.

 Tasmania Corrective Services. (Department of Justice)
Find the Tasmanian Department of Justice Corrective Services website here.

ACT

Find recent Prisons and Punishment stories from ABC Canberra here.

ACT Corrective Services
Find information ACT Corrective services website here.

NT

Find recent Prisons and Punishment stories from ABC Darwin here.

NT Correctional Services (NT Department of Justice)
Find information about Correctional Services in NT from the NT Department of Justice website here.

........................................................................................................................................................ 

The PIU provides information sourced from the ANCDs regular media and policy monitoring activities and information services provided by external organisations. The PIU recognises and thanks: ADCA; Beyond Bars; DrugInfo and ATODA; and for their contributions to this edition.

If you would like to subscribe to the ANCD Prison Issues Update or have anything that you would like included in next month’s edition, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. "> This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .