Building More or Seeking Alternatives?
how to address rising crime rates and Australia's highest imprisonment rate while also reducing the number of people behind bars. This issue has plagued successive governments for decades.
Currently, NT prisons are overflowing, forcing authorities to hold inmates in police watch houses in Darwin and Alice Springs. The situation is particularly concerning given that 90% of the adult prison population is Aboriginal.
With the next NT election just months away, both major parties, Labor and the Country Liberal Party (CLP), have unveiled their prison policies, each involving hundreds of millions of dollars.
Repurposing Facilities and Rehabilitation Programs
In April, the Labor government announced a $57 million plan to establish two standalone women's facilities in Darwin and Alice Springs. However, these facilities will not be newly built. Instead, the government plans to repurpose a rehabilitation facility and a sobering-up shelter, a move that has drawn criticism.
Labor also pledged to fund additional custodial and support staff, expand rehabilitation programs, and enhance reintegration support. Despite the focus on new facilities, the government maintains its commitment to reducing the prison population.
New Prisons, Work Camps, and Youth Boot Camps
The CLP, in contrast, proposes building two brand new women's prisons in Darwin and Alice Springs if elected. One would be located next to the Darwin men's jail, potentially costing hundreds of millions of dollars.
The CLP's plan also includes constructing two new $10 million work camps in Katherine and on the Tiwi Islands, along with new youth boot camps in Alice Springs and Darwin.
Alternatives to Incarceration
The proposed expansion of prison facilities stands in stark contrast to the recommendations of an independent report by Professor David Hollinsworth. Commissioned by the NT government to address racism within its systems, the report advocates for closing all women's prisons and replacing them with residential care and training facilities.
Independent MLA Yingiya Guyula has also long advocated for greater use of alternatives to custody, particularly for Aboriginal people. He envisions rehabilitation programs on their own country under the guidance of elders, similar to initiatives already underway on Groote Eylandt.
As the NT election approaches, the question of how to address the territory's prison crisis remains a crucial topic of debate. While both major parties propose building new facilities, alternative approaches focused on rehabilitation and community-based solutions offer a different path forward.