Australia's National
Prison Newspaper

Australia's National
Prison Newspaper

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

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ISSUE NO. 14

September 2025

ISSUE NO. 14

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September 2025

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Legal Corner

Legal Q&A

“If prisoners break the law in prison, does it get taken to the police and the courts?”

Anonymous

The author writes from a prison in VIC.

Ethan Cassidy

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Answer by Volunteer Barristers for About Time

Yes. If it is alleged that you have committed an offence in custody, you may be charged by police and the matter could go through the courts like any other offence.

If you are accused of committing an offence while you are in prison, it may be dealt with through an internal disciplinary process in the prison or it may go through the courts like an alleged offence in the community would.

This will likely depend on the seriousness of the alleged offence.

If this happens, it is important for you to get legal advice.

If you are charged with breaking a rule in prison, this can result in disciplinary action, in addition to potential criminal charges.

You have the right to a fair disciplinary hearing. In this hearing, a hearing officer will tell you about the procedure in the hearing, read the charge out to you and give you an opportunity to plead guilty or not guilty.

How the rest of the hearing will play out depends on whether you plead guilty or not guilty.

If you plead guilty, you will then be able to make a plea about what penalty you should receive, something that is called “submissions”. In submissions, you can talk about why the offence happened, what was happening to you at the time it happened and whether it’s the first time you have been in trouble for something like this.

If you plead not guilty, the hearing officer will likely then hear from witnesses, look at relevant information and listen to arguments on both sides. They will then make a decision about whether the prison offence occurred or not.

If you attend this hearing, you will have a chance to respond and present your own evidence.

Answer by Volunteer Barristers for About Time

Yes. If it is alleged that you have committed an offence in custody, you may be charged by police and the matter could go through the courts like any other offence.

If you are accused of committing an offence while you are in prison, it may be dealt with through an internal disciplinary process in the prison or it may go through the courts like an alleged offence in the community would.

This will likely depend on the seriousness of the alleged offence.

If this happens, it is important for you to get legal advice.

If you are charged with breaking a rule in prison, this can result in disciplinary action, in addition to potential criminal charges.

You have the right to a fair disciplinary hearing. In this hearing, a hearing officer will tell you about the procedure in the hearing, read the charge out to you and give you an opportunity to plead guilty or not guilty.

How the rest of the hearing will play out depends on whether you plead guilty or not guilty.

If you plead guilty, you will then be able to make a plea about what penalty you should receive, something that is called “submissions”. In submissions, you can talk about why the offence happened, what was happening to you at the time it happened and whether it’s the first time you have been in trouble for something like this.

If you plead not guilty, the hearing officer will likely then hear from witnesses, look at relevant information and listen to arguments on both sides. They will then make a decision about whether the prison offence occurred or not.

If you attend this hearing, you will have a chance to respond and present your own evidence.

Legal Q&A – No Body, No Parole

Legal Q&A – No Body, No Parole

Legal Q&A – No Body, No Parole

By About Time
By About Time

I wonder if you could explain the new "No Body No Parole" law in New South Wales, where now people charged with murder or manslaughter need letters from the head of police?

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 8

3 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

Around the Country: Parole

Around the Country: Parole

Around the Country: Parole

By Fitzroy Legal Service, Prisoners Legal Service (NSW Legal Aid), Prisoners Legal Service (QLD) and About Time
By Fitzroy Legal Service, Prisoners Legal Service (NSW Legal Aid), Prisoners Legal Service (QLD) and About Time

Parole is a process that gives some people the ability to get out of prison and serve the last part of their sentence in the community, under the supervision of Community Corrections (which used to be known as Probation and Parole).

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 6

10 MIN READ

Human Rights in Prison

Human Rights in Prison

Human Rights in Prison

By Human Rights Law Centre
By Human Rights Law Centre

All people behind bars should be treated with dignity.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 10

6 MIN READ

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Silence May Be Golden, but Is It a ‘Right’?

By Daniel Vansetten

In law, silence is considered a fundamental right that provides fairness in criminal proceedings.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 9

5 MIN READ

Common Human Rights Issues in Prison

By Prisoners’ Legal Service (Queensland)

This article discusses some of the human rights that may be relevant in prison with reference to human rights protections under the Human Rights Act 2019 (QLD) in Queensland.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 8

6 MIN READ

Legal Q&A – No Body, No Parole

By About Time

I wonder if you could explain the new "No Body No Parole" law in New South Wales, where now people charged with murder or manslaughter need letters from the head of police?

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 8

3 MIN READ

The Federal Election: Voting and More

By About Time

The federal election is coming up. It happens about every three years. It’s for electing the government for the whole country – the federal government.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 8

9 MIN READ

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