NCJ Number
89215
Journal
Australian Law Journal Volume: 55 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1981) Pages: 619-629
Date Published
1981
Length
11 pages
Annotation
The seven State governments in Australia must work together to develop a better approach to punishment for offenders. Serious overcrowding in Australia's prisons dictates that only offenders who have committed serious crimes and are a danger to society should be imprisoned for long periods.
Abstract
The existing prison system must be reformed. While each State is constitutionally responsible for its own penal system, reforms should be made on a national basis. To develop support for correctional reforms, the public must be informed about the severity of prison overcrowding and the efficacy of alternatives (work orders, fines, etc.). This demand for alternatives is based on economic as well as humanitarian grounds, since the public cannot afford the extravagance of large numbers of prisons. The problem in devising alternatives is to gain public and political acceptance of measures which will operate as a deterrent and be recognized as such. Imprisonment as a sanction should only be used as a punishment of the last resort. A total of 18 case notes are cited.