ISSUE NO. 22
MAY 2026

News and Investigations

Each edition contains news articles and investigative pieces. These are topical stories that are usually about prisons and criminal justice.

We also summarise the latest criminal justice news around the country.

Latest

Making Prison Visits Better

By Denham Sadler

With Mother’s Day this month, prison visits have never been more important. But for children with a parent in prison, or other loved ones, this process can be scary and intimidating, with a lot of rules and conditions.

ISSUE NO. 22
4 MIN READ
Ethan Cassidy

Around the Country – April 2026

By About Time

Including the prison population growing in the ACT, a drug bust during a prison visit in Victoria, Hakea inmates suing state government in WA and more.

ISSUE NO. 22
5 MIN READ
Ethan Cassidy

Australia’s Oldest Prison Vegetable Garden?

By Hayley McKee

The men at Fremantle Prison learnt how to grow fresh food by planting concentrated rows of sturdy cabbage, corn, carrots, spring onions and other edible plants that could withstand the harsh WA sun. At its peak, the garden supplied the prison kitchen with more than 10,000 kilograms of fruit and vegetables each year.

ISSUE NO. 22
3 MIN READ
Fremantle Prison Parade Ground Gardens, 1970, Courtesy Fremantle Prison

New Civil Law Service for Women in NSW Prisons

By About Time

The Women’s Advocacy Service is a partnership between Legal Aid NSW and the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT), providing face-to-face appointments with both a lawyer and a social worker.

ISSUE NO. 22
2 MIN READ
Gabrielle Hender for Unsplash

We Need You: Maximum Security Unit Review Consultation

By Prisoners' Legal Service Queensland

The Inspector of Detention Services Queensland is undertaking a review of Maximum Security Units (MSUs) at Arthur Gorrie, Brisbane and Woodford Correctional Centres.

ISSUE NO. 22
3 MIN READ
katerha via Flickr

Who’s Watching the Prisons? Introducing ‘Inspector’s Corner’

Your monthly review of prison oversight

By About Time

There are a number of groups around the country that inspect prisons and provide feedback and recommendations to governments. These often involve visiting prisons and talking directly to people in custody.

ISSUE NO. 22
2 MIN READ
Ethan Cassidy
ONLINE NEWS

Victoria Pours $229m Into New Prison Beds

By Denham Sadler

The Victorian government will spend $229 million on new prison beds, five times what it has allocated to programs aiming to keep people out of them.

May 7, 2026
3 MIN READ
Willy Pleasance
ONLINE NEWS

Voices From Prison Lockdowns

By Denham Sadler

Australia is in the midst of an epidemic of prison lockdowns. There is often little or no warning that these lockdowns are going to happen, leaving many people in virtual solitary confinement for hours or days.

May 7, 2026
4 MIN READ
Ike Curtis

Archive

ISSUE NO. 16
November 2025

Rising Remand Numbers Drive Increase to Victoria’s Prison Population

By Joseph Friedman

The Sentencing Advisory Council report tracks the prison population in Victoria from 2004 to 2024, finding that it grew by 62 per cent in this time, far more than the less than 40 per cent increase in the general population of the state.

1 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 16
November 2025

The Importance of Radio in Prison

By Benjamin Aitken

A certain song at the right moment can anchor someone to memories, to hope or simply to themselves.

3 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 16
November 2025

Around the Country – October 2025

By Rosie Heselev

Including the criminal age of responsibility rising to 12 in VIC, prison whistleblower protections proposed for TAS, the bar being lowered to prove prison misconduct in NSW and more.

8 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 16
November 2025

Letters From Home Lost to the Photocopier

By Denham Sadler

“I went from writing every day to basically not writing at all by the end, because it was so poorly photocopied or it was delayed,” Sarah told About Time.

4 MIN READ
BREAKING
May 1, 2026

When Your Child is Charged

By Elizabeth

When your adult child does something that you don't agree with and you have no say in it – that's hard.

4 MIN READ
BREAKING
May 1, 2026

About Time Launches in Western Australia

By Joseph Friedman

People in prison in Western Australia will soon have access to Australia’s national prison newspaper for the first time, with About Time launching in the state in October.

2 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 15
October 2025

What are Drug Courts?

By Stacey Stokes

Drug Courts are specialist courts that can provide an alternative to imprisonment for those who have offended due to drug dependency.

4 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 15
October 2025

Around the Country – September 2025

By Edith McLellan

Including overcrowding impacting service delivery in youth prisons in the ACT, prison officers going on strike in the NT, a second set of bail reforms passing in VIC and more.

6 MIN READ

Welcome to About Time

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

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