Towards Human Rights Compliance in Australian Prisons

Anita Mackay

$70.95 $60.27

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

ANU Press
11 November 2020

United Nations & UN agencies; International law; Criminal law & procedure

Imprisoned people have always been vulnerable and in need of human rights protections. The slow but steady growth in the protection of imprisoned people's rights over recent decades in Australia has mostly come from incremental change to prison legislation and common law principles. A radical influence is about to disrupt this slow change.

Australian prisons and other closed environments will soon be subject to international inspections by the United Nations Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture (SPT). This is because the Australian Government ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT) in December 2017.

Australia’s international human rights law obligations as they apply to prisons are complex and stem from multiple Treaties. This book distils these obligations into five prerequisites for compliance, consistent with the preventive focus of the OPCAT. They are:

reduce reliance on imprisonment align domestic legislation with Australia’s international human rights law obligations shift the focus of imprisonment to the goal of rehabilitation and restoration support prison staff to treat imprisoned people in a human rights–consistent manner ensure decent physical conditions in all prisons.

Attention to each of these five areas will help all levels of Australian government and prison managers take the steps required to move towards compliance. Human-rights led prison reform is necessary both to improve the lives of imprisoned people and for Australia to achieve compliance with the international human rights legal obligations to which it has voluntarily committed itself.

By: Anita Mackay
Imprint: ANU Press
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm,
ISBN: 9781760464004
ISBN 10: 1760464007
Publication Date: 11 November 2020
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Foreword Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations Table of Cases Introduction Part 1: Legal, Statistical and Sociological Context for the Operation of Prisons in Australia The Australian Prison Population and Daily Life in Australian Prisons Australia's International Human Rights Law Obligations The OPCAT and the Changes It Will Impose to Prison Monitoring Part 2: Macro-level Prerequisites The First Prerequisite: Reduce Reliance on Imprisonment The Second Prerequisite: Align Domestic Legislation with Australia's International Human Rights Law Obligations The Third Prerequisite: Shift the Focus of Imprisonment to the Goal of Rehabilitation and Restoration Part 3: Micro-level Prerequisites The Fourth Prerequisite: Support Prison Staff to Treat Imprisoned People in a Human Rights–Consistent Manner The Fifth Prerequisite: Ensure Decent Physical Conditions in All Prisons Conclusions Select Bibliography