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| Australia's culture of incarceration has gone too far | Australia's culture of incarceration has gone too far |
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| In the last 30 years, the number of people in Australian prisons has tripled. The mantra of "tough on crime" has actually been tough on budgets – jails are phenomenally expensive. | In the last 30 years, the number of people in Australian prisons has tripled. The mantra of "tough on crime" has actually been tough on budgets – jails are phenomenally expensive. |
| More than 40% of released prisoners will re-offend within two years. Although prisons will always be necessary for serious and dangerous criminals, research increasingly shows jails do little to rehabilitate offenders, and often increase criminality. More crime means more victims. And if we do not change, our jails will send state governments broke. | More than 40% of released prisoners will re-offend within two years. Although prisons will always be necessary for serious and dangerous criminals, research increasingly shows jails do little to rehabilitate offenders, and often increase criminality. More crime means more victims. And if we do not change, our jails will send state governments broke. |
| Nevertheless, Australia is locking up more people than ever before. Too often, time behind bars is a first, rather than last, resort – particularly with Indigenous youth. Less than 3% of Australians identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, but Indigenous Australians make up more than a quarter of the nation's prison population. They are among the most imprisoned people groups in the world. In fact, an Indigenous person is more likely to be returned to prison than they are to stay in high school or university. This is a national disgrace. | Nevertheless, Australia is locking up more people than ever before. Too often, time behind bars is a first, rather than last, resort – particularly with Indigenous youth. Less than 3% of Australians identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, but Indigenous Australians make up more than a quarter of the nation's prison population. They are among the most imprisoned people groups in the world. In fact, an Indigenous person is more likely to be returned to prison than they are to stay in high school or university. This is a national disgrace. |
| More and more prisoners mean more new prisons, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars each time. And the operating costs alone are more than $3 billion dollars a year nationally. This upward trend in criminal justice spending is unsustainable. The Northern Territory is one government already struggling to cope. When their new prison, at a cost of half a billion dollars, opens next year, it will already be 80 beds short. They will need another one in 2016. | More and more prisoners mean more new prisons, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars each time. And the operating costs alone are more than $3 billion dollars a year nationally. This upward trend in criminal justice spending is unsustainable. The Northern Territory is one government already struggling to cope. When their new prison, at a cost of half a billion dollars, opens next year, it will already be 80 beds short. They will need another one in 2016. |
| We have a stark choice: we can pour billions of dollars of taxpayer money into dealing with the consequences of crime or we can save billions by addressing the causes. | We have a stark choice: we can pour billions of dollars of taxpayer money into dealing with the consequences of crime or we can save billions by addressing the causes. |
| As the Australian Greens spokesperson on legal affairs, I recently chaired a Senate inquiry into justice reinvestment, a concept that has been highly successful in the United States, creating safer communities and saving money. | As the Australian Greens spokesperson on legal affairs, I recently chaired a Senate inquiry into justice reinvestment, a concept that has been highly successful in the United States, creating safer communities and saving money. |
| Justice reinvestment is an obscure name for a rigorous approach to the old idea that "prevention is better than cure". It involves redirecting money from prisons into communities with a high numbers of offenders, identifying causal factors, and funding programs and services in those communities. This can be as simple as boxing clinics and midnight basketball to give teens a purpose, or as targeted as providing ongoing support to new mothers and driving lessons for people in remote communities. | Justice reinvestment is an obscure name for a rigorous approach to the old idea that "prevention is better than cure". It involves redirecting money from prisons into communities with a high numbers of offenders, identifying causal factors, and funding programs and services in those communities. This can be as simple as boxing clinics and midnight basketball to give teens a purpose, or as targeted as providing ongoing support to new mothers and driving lessons for people in remote communities. |
| Indeed, it's high time to exchange "tough on crime" for "smart on crime"- just as they've done in tough ol' Texas. Embraced by Texan Republicans and Democrats alike, Justice Reinvestment's economic and social benefits bridge the political divide. | Indeed, it's high time to exchange "tough on crime" for "smart on crime"- just as they've done in tough ol' Texas. Embraced by Texan Republicans and Democrats alike, Justice Reinvestment's economic and social benefits bridge the political divide. |
| With bipartisan support since 2007, Texas’s prison population has stopped growing for the first time in decades and urban crime rates are declining. Dozens of other US states have now followed suit. | With bipartisan support since 2007, Texas’s prison population has stopped growing for the first time in decades and urban crime rates are declining. Dozens of other US states have now followed suit. |
| In Australia, justice reinvestment is backed by the vast majority of legal, social and Indigenous groups. Although law and order is usually a state responsibility, there is a strong argument for federal leadership. This issue is too big to be ignored by Canberra politicians. | In Australia, justice reinvestment is backed by the vast majority of legal, social and Indigenous groups. Although law and order is usually a state responsibility, there is a strong argument for federal leadership. This issue is too big to be ignored by Canberra politicians. |
| After all, our culture of incarceration crosses state boundaries. And the over-representation of our first peoples in our prisons is a matter of national shame. The inquiry recommended an independent, national centre to facilitate the trial of justice reinvestment in Australia. A similar body has been pivotal to the success of justice reinvestment in the US. The federal government has the means and the capacity to work with the Australian state governments to establish this. | |
| Since my inquiry concluded, for the first time in history, there is cross-party agreement that justice reinvestment is the way to make our communities safer and reverse incarceration rates. Our current policies are failing us. To really get tough on crime, politicians must find the courage to put their money where the evidence is and endorse justice reinvestment. | Since my inquiry concluded, for the first time in history, there is cross-party agreement that justice reinvestment is the way to make our communities safer and reverse incarceration rates. Our current policies are failing us. To really get tough on crime, politicians must find the courage to put their money where the evidence is and endorse justice reinvestment. |