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About Time is the national newspaper for Australian prisons and detention facilities

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ISSUE NO. 5
November 2024
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Legal Corner

Legal Q&A: DSP After Prison

By
Al

Al writes from a prison in NSW.

To About Time staff,

Congratulations on your newspaper. I am writing to the legal corner as I have a concern about the length of the sentence (imprisonment) and the Disability Support Pension eligibility criteria.

Q1. What is the legal sentence period after which an inmate must reapply for the DSP?

NSW prison rumours say under two years and one is automatically reinstated onto the DSP, over two years, and one has to reapply and resubmit all the new paperwork for a new claim for the DSP.

As this issue would affect about 15% of the population, I figure it would be an important question to seek your help with. Thanks.

Regards,

Al

To About Time staff,

Congratulations on your newspaper. I am writing to the legal corner as I have a concern about the length of the sentence (imprisonment) and the Disability Support Pension eligibility criteria.

Q1. What is the legal sentence period after which an inmate must reapply for the DSP?

NSW prison rumours say under two years and one is automatically reinstated onto the DSP, over two years, and one has to reapply and resubmit all the new paperwork for a new claim for the DSP.

As this issue would affect about 15% of the population, I figure it would be an important question to seek your help with. Thanks.

Regards,

Al

Legal Q&A

Do you have a general legal query that you want answered?
Is  there an area of law that you think people inside should know more about? Submit your question in the provided form, and we might publish an answer in the paper.

Submit Your Question

Legal Q&A – Varying Intervention Orders

Legal Q&A – Varying Intervention Orders

Legal Q&A – Varying Intervention Orders

Question from Dylan, Port Phillip Prison
Question from Dylan, Port Phillip Prison

I was reading a section of ‘Australia’s National Prison Newspaper’ where it gave some information about bail but I couldn’t find any information about people trying to vary intervention orders (I.V.O).

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 10

4 MIN READ

Legal Q&A

Legal Q&A

Legal Q&A

By Brian
By Brian

My name is Brian. A lot of guys here are talking about new legislation coming in the near future, but I haven’t found it anywhere. It is called “Daniel’s Law”. I was wondering if you could explain it and when it will take effect and who it will apply to?

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 11

3 MIN READ

Understanding Australia’s Legal System: How Legislation and Common Law Work Together

Understanding Australia’s Legal System: How Legislation and Common Law Work Together

Understanding Australia’s Legal System: How Legislation and Common Law Work Together

By Daniel Vansetten
By Daniel Vansetten

Australia has two sources of law: legislation and common law. Legislation is made by parliaments and is available in documents called acts. Common law is made by judges in court decisions and covers areas that have not been legislated.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 11

4 MIN READ

Freedom of Information (Part Two): Review Options

Freedom of Information (Part Two): Review Options

Freedom of Information (Part Two): Review Options

By Daniel Vansetten
By Daniel Vansetten

This is the second part of a two-part series on Freedom of Information (or Right to Information) laws. This part discusses ‘review processes’ – that is, what can be done if you are unhappy with the FOI decision, particularly if you were refused information and you think this was incorrect.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 5

10 MIN READ

Inspectors’ Report!

By About Time

Inspectors and ombudsmen regularly go to prisons and publish reports on what they find and what they think needs to be improved. They also complete reports on issues such as access to healthcare or the use of segregation.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 23

4 MIN READ

The Parole Patchwork: An Overview of Australia’s Parole Laws

By Human Rights Law Centre lawyer Monique Hurley, with assistance from Connor Shaw

In recent years, regressive reform of parole laws in many places has made it increasingly difficult for people in prison to access parole.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 23

4 MIN READ

Open Air in Prison: Your Rights Explained

By Human Rights Law Centre and Prisoners’ Legal Service

With people in prisons across the country being subjected to an “epidemic of prison lockdowns”, it is important to note that bare minimum safeguards exist in law, in most jurisdictions, that purport to guarantee at least some time ‘in the open air’ each day for people behind bars.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 22

5 MIN READ

Law and Healthcare: Why Can’t I Get My Usual Prescriptions From Prison?

By Prisoners' Legal Service Queensland

There is a lot of talk about human rights in prison – with things like ‘the Mandela Rules’, ‘the principle of equivalence’, and access to health care without discrimination.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 21

2 MIN READ

Help Us Keep Publishing About Time

Without About Time, I don’t know where I would be – Mark, from a prison in Victoria

We need your help so that we can print and distribute the paper to every person in every prison for at least the next year. We value whatever you can spare, no matter how big or small.

Australia’s prison population is growing, and our many prisons are spread far and wide.

We need your help so that we can print and distribute the paper to every person in every prison for at least the next year. We need your help to cover postage for anyone who sends us a letter from the inside.

We value whatever you can spare, no matter how big or small.