Is the Queensland Australian prison system in need of reform - Research Paper Example

There are 13 prisons located throughout Queensland, Australia. Of the 13 prisons, Queensland Corrective Services (QCS) operates 11, while the other two (Arthur Gorrie and Borallan) are privately run. Nevertheless, the two prisons are subject to the same rules and regulations as the government operated prison, QCS. As a rule, the Queensland courts mete out justice due of their convicted criminals. However, there arises the belief that the justice system ends at the gates of the Queensland prison system.

Beyond these gates, a bureaucratic and politically expedient doctrine of ‘out of sight – out of mind’ takes control.Prison deaths often fall into two categories. There is the natural and unnatural death. An unnatural death may be defined as suicide, drug overdose or murder. However, it can be noted that all deaths by drug overdose and suicide remain questionable. This stem from the reason that prison murders can be staged to look like suicides or drug overdoses. Hence, the term “unnatural death”.

For instance, Sir David Longland Correctional Centre (SDLCC), in Queensland, has been reported to have the highest prisoner mortality rate for unnatural deaths than any other Australian maximum-security prison. Over the last decade, an estimated twenty-eight prisoners have died unnatural deaths. The criminal justice system in Queensland, Australia is designed to deal accordingly with people who do not obey the law. At first glance, Queensland’s criminal justice system appears to be fair and just.

However, beneath the surface for those that are going through the system, there appears to be injustices, particularly for marginalized citizens, those without power, contacts, or knowledge (Egel, 2007). Circumstances surrounding the unnatural deaths of these prisoners are symptomatic of the observed secrecy that cloaks the Queensland prison system. There seems to be a self-serving secrecy the Queensland Department of Corrective Services has steadily fostered by applying censorship tourniquets that may suppress politically sensitive information ever reaching the media.

The Queensland Corrective Services Act 2000, for instance, has been specifically implemented to reinforce that method by regulating the media’s access to Queensland prisoners. It is those restrictive practices that may have allowed the killing incidents of Queensland prison facilities to flourish.There are four main goals of prison confinement. These include Incapacitation, Retribution, Rehabilitation and Deterrence. Incapacitation focuses on protecting society from the individual and containing crime.

Retribution embodies the principle that a wrongful act must be ‘repaid’ by a punishment that is as severe as the wrongful act, no more, no less. Rehabilitation is the notion that prisoners may be able to acquire relevant post-prison skills and personal behaviours to assist in leading a lawful life post prison. However it is an ambiguous concept surrounded by controversy and misunderstanding; and Deterrence is aiming to deter the offender from re-offending in the future (Bartol and Bartol, 1994).

As such, these goals must be observed with strict compliance. A consideration of the current law and research show that system thriving in Queensland prisons is in need of major reform. The difficult task is convincing  government of  the  need  to implement  such changes.  Fortunately, the  Australian  Government  is  finally  appearing  to  be  heading  down  this road. If this shall continue and progress will manifest, only then will justice will truly be served.

References:Bartol, C. R. and A.M. Bartol. “Chapter Thirteen: the psychology of corrections”, pp345-374. Psychology and Law; Research and Application, Brooks/ Cole, California.. 1994.Courtney Egel . “A Guide To Queensland Criminal Justice System.” Centre for Social Justice. UnitingCare Queensland Centre for Social Justice. 2007Dan Rogers. “Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Mentally Ill in Queensland Correctional Centres”. Retrieved on August 10, 2011, from http://www.law.uq.edu.au/articles/qlsr/Rogers-Mental-Health-in-Qld-Prisons.

pdfPaul Moyle. “Private Adult Custodial Corrections In Queensland And The First Wave: A Critical Reflection On The First Three Years—Reform Or Regression?” Retrieved on August 10, 2011, from http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/previous%20series/proceedings/1-27/~/media/publications/proceedings/23/moyle.ashx Unkown, 2004. “The Killing Fields of Queensland, Australia”. Recovered on August 10, 2011, from http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62863