How Full Are Our Jails?
The surge in prisoner numbers has been a threat to the health and safety of officers and ancillary staff working in the system.
All jurisdictions reported that the biggest impact on availability of beds was changes to sentencing laws, particularly Victoria and Tasmania where suspended sentences have been abolished, access to bail has been tightened and Tasmania reports that changes are going through Parliament now that will make access to remissions harder therefore further exacerbating the lack of available beds.