ISSUE NO. 23
JUNE 2026

Legal Corner

This section provides people in prison with information about their legal rights and how to make best use of them.

If you have any general legal questions that you would like to be answered, please let us know.

Latest

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.

ISSUE NO. 23
4 MIN READ
Ethan Cassidy

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.

ISSUE NO. 23
4 MIN READ
Ethan Cassidy

Previous Editions

ISSUE NO. 12
July 2025

Laws Around Strip Searches in Prisons

By Daniel Vansetten

Strip searching is a security practice purportedly used by prison authorities to prevent drugs and other contraband from entering prisons.

4 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 11
June 2025

Legal Q&A

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?

3 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 10
May 2025

Parole Conditions in Queensland

By Prisoners' Legal Service

All parole orders must have conditions setting out what you are required to do and what you must not do while on parole.  

3 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 10
May 2025

Legal Q&A – Varying Intervention Orders

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).

4 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 10
May 2025

Human Rights in Prison

By Human Rights Law Centre

All people behind bars should be treated with dignity.

6 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 8
March 2025

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.

6 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 8
March 2025

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?

3 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 8
March 2025

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.

9 MIN READ

Welcome to About Time

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

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Welcome to About Time

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

Your browser window currently does not have enough height, or is zoomed in too far to view our website content correctly. Once the window reaches the minimum required height or zoom percentage, the content will display automatically.

Alternatively, you can learn more via the links below.

Donations via GiveNow

Email

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LinkedIn

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.