Dignity for People in Prison
Our vision: An Australia where governments are working towards closing, rather than opening, prisons; where all people behind bars are treated with dignity; and where governments and private operators are held accountable for human rights abuse in prisons.
Our focus
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Abuse thrives behind prison walls and we advocate to end particularly cruel and degrading practices, including routine strip searching and the use of spit hoods and restraint chairs.
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We call for greater oversight and transparency to prevent abuse behind prison walls. This includes advocating for the effective implementation of the United Nations’ anti-torture treaties, including the protocol which requires independent inspections and monitoring of places of detention to be implemented across Australia.
How we work
We recognise the close connection between growing imprisonment rates, racial injustice and the risk of people being subjected to human rights abuses behind bars. While our primary focus is always on reducing the number of people being pipelined into prisons, we also work in partnership with Aboriginal organisations, community legal centres and other partners to call for an end to harmful prison practices for those people currently trapped in the criminal legal system, and advocate for greater oversight and transparency of human rights abuses committed in places of detention.
What we’re working on
Key projects
Our Dignity for People in Prison team is working on these key projects
News, reports and explainers
Get the full story with our latest news and opinion pieces, human rights reports and explainers on key issues from our team
How you can help
Donate to support the Human Rights Law Centre
Join the campaign to raise the age of criminal responsibility
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