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QLD

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Crackdown on E-Bikes, E-Scooters and Personal Mobility Devices

By QLD Prisoners’ Legal Service

New laws about the use of e-bikes, e-scooters and personal mobility devices came into effect in Queensland from July.

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Over the last decade, the use of these devices has steadily increased. It is not uncommon for Queensland cities to have rentable e-scooters on footpaths, or to see people of all ages riding e-bikes.

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The government has introduced new laws banning devices faster than 25km/hr and targeting people who ride them while intoxicated, without a helmet, with modifications, or without a driver’s license.

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Importantly, from 31 August, there is a requirement that all riders have at least a learner driver’s license. This means people who have lost their driver’s license will no longer be able to ride these devices.

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Limited exceptions apply, including for people with medical conditions or disabilities.

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NT

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Concerns Raised Over Lack of Forensic Mental Health Unit

People in the Northern Territory are spending long amounts of time in hospital wards instead of appropriate forensic mental health facilities, according to the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM).

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In its annual report, the NPM revealed that a First Nations man had spent more than 300 days in a high-acuity mental health ward at Darwin hospital while waiting placement in a more appropriate place.

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During this time,. he was under continuous supervision by two uniformed correctional officers.

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The report said this highlighted the need for a dedicated forensic mental health facility in the Northern Territory.

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The Cognitive Behaviour Unit at Darwin Correctional Centre has been listed as an “Approved Treatment Facility” in the NT, but the NPM said it is still a prison-based setting, and is used to house people from the general prison population too.

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VIC

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Vegemite Push Goes to Court

An incarcerated man has had his day in court over a challenge to the ban on Vegemite in Victorian prisons.

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The case claims that the ban on Vegemite in prisons is in breach of the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities, which includes that people of specific cultural backgrounds are protected in “enjoying” their culture.

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The man, who is representing himself, is claiming that Vegemite is part of the culture of being Australia.

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He referenced a number of examples of the role of Vegemite in Australian culture, such as the heritage-listed Vegemite factory in Port Melbourne, and the Men at Work song that references a Vegemite sandwich.

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Vegemite is also banned in prisons in Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania. It can still be purchased at buy-up at prisons in New South Wales.

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New Gym Equipment Coming to Western Plains

New gym equipment will soon be coming to Western Plains Correctional Centre.

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The state government has said that the current equipment on offer is “insufficient” for the number of people incarcerated at the prison.

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It has purchased 35 multi-gym stations to be installed at the prison.

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This gym equipment will be placed across communities, along with the Karlton Close Supervision and Support Unit.

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“Gym equipment is essential in ensuring the men at Western Plains have access to recreational activities as part of their structured day,” the Victorian government said.

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TAS

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Kitchen Shut Down Due to Floor Faults

The kitchen at Risdon Prison was shut down in early July after faults were found in its flooring.

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Food was flown in from Victoria to cover for the closed kitchen, which had only just recently officially opened.

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An issue was discovered with the “slip resistance of the flooring” of the new commercial kitchen and bakery, which was opened in early April.

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The company that build the kitchen will now cover the costs of fixing the flooring.

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While the kitchen was being fixed, food for the prison was sourced from Victoria.

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The union representing prison workers said that the floor of the kitchen was not adequate for the wear and tear of a kitchen that makes food for more than 800 people each day.

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ACT

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Prison Policy Changes to be Tracked Online

A new public transparency tool has been launched to track how the ACT government is putting in place the recommendations made by the territory’s prison inspector.

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The ACT Custodial Inspector created the public tool to track whether the recommendations it has made to improve conditions in prison have been implemented.

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The online dashboard includes more than 200 recommendations made in prison reviews since 2019.

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According to the Custodial Inspector, there are 52 “open” recommendations that have not been implemented, including for efforts to be made to give more “purposeful activity” to those incarcerated in the ACT.

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The Inspector has called for a multi-purpose industries building to be established at the Alexander Maconochie Centre to offer courses, such as in forklift driving.

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“This was an opportunity to bring together lots of different pieces of data and put it in one place that will hopefully be user-friendly for members of the public, for community organisations, for other stakeholders, to better understand what recommendations have been made, what issues have been identified, what the government has done to respond, and also if they’ve committed to something and they haven’t yet fulfilled it,” ACT Custodial Inspector Rebecca Minty said.

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“It’s our opportunity to flag that.”

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NSW

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New 10-Year Strategy to Keep Women Out of Prison

Corrective Services NSW has launched a new Women’s Strategy 2026–2036 that aims to keep women out of prison and provide proper rehabilitation and reintegration services to those who are incarcerated.

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In the strategy, Corrective Services NSW said it had made a “commitment to systemic reform”, and that the document is a “framework for sustained, organisational-wide change” and a “blueprint for change”.

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The state government consulted with more than 400 people, including those with lived experience, to help develop the strategy.

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There were just over 900 women in prison as of the end of March last year.

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According to the strategy, just under 20 per cent of these women were homeless when they entered prison, and 60 per cent had a drug-related issue.

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More than half of women in prison are on remand, and 50 per cent of these women are eventually released without sentence, or get a non-custodial sentence.

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The new strategy involves more initiatives to keep women out of custody, and improvements to reintegration and rehabilitative programs.

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The strategy also makes commitments to women in custody: that they will be treated with dignity and respect, will be safe and supported in rehabilitative environments, be able to maintain connection with family, kin and culture and be provided with opportunities to build skills and knowledge.

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Transfers from Goulburn Prison Begin

The transfer of inmates from Goulburn Correctional Centre to other prisons in New South Wales has begun.

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The state government announced earlier this year that four wings of the Goulburn prison would be closed, with the minimum security wings and High Risk Management Centre to keep operating.

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Prison officers at the centre submitted a motion to not assist with these transfers, including the processing via the normal reception-room process.

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The prison staff said they would continue facilitating scheduled court and medical movements.

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Instead, the management team of the prison will be responsible for these transfers.

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WA

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Disturbance at Casuarina

Some of the cells at Casuarina Prison have been damaged because of an incident in July.

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There were reports of “significant damage” to a unit at the maximum-security prison.

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The state Corrections Department said there was damage to two wings of a unit at Casuarina.

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It said that seven people had “caused a disturbance” in the wing.