Including an inspection of court custody centres in WA, Victoria enforcing the nation's strictest machete ban, Tasmanians returning to the polls and more.

A report by Financial Counselling Australia said this is a form of “double punishment”, with people leaving prison in a worse financial position than when they entered it because the system is “stacked against them”.

The regular use of lockdowns across the Australian prison system has been in the spotlight in recent weeks, with governments under pressure to address the growing issue that is having a devastating impact on those inside.

No-one’s life pans out quite the way they might expect, but it should never be too late to try and get back on course.

While hardline responses to crime are constantly pushed by politicians and the media, other approaches – such as “therapeutic justice” models – are often overlooked.

Including WA Government pledges to improve crisis care in prisons, Victoria announcing a $700m investment in prisons and officers, an ACT prison inspector flagging understaffing issues and more.

A lack of access to stable housing is a key reason why many people reoffend and return to prison. It’s also a main reason why people are denied parole and kept in prison for longer.

Historically, the party in power (the ‘incumbent’) has had an advantage going into an election. That all changed last year.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that the following article contains the image of a deceased person.

When people experience harm – whether through violence, trauma or the legal system – what they often need most is support, safety and healing. But too often our systems respond with punishment instead of care.