On this day in 1973, the need for a 'typical' prison in the ACT was questioned by the then minister, Mr Enderby. He did admit at the time that there was a need for a penal style institution.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The ACT was dependent on the NSW jail system to handle its offenders and the authorities found it to be unsatisfactory as they agreed that the prison system was sub optimal in dealing with society's needs and the rehabilitation efforts.
Enderby in speaking about prison reform believed prisons perpetuate criminality as it ruins their lives. The central ethos of the government was a community-based approach as they wanted to treat offending behaviour as a part of society.
He admitted society might not be ready to deal with the risk of allowing offenders to roam freely instead of costly incarceration.
Some alternatives were explored including allowing offenders to resume their normal workdays during the day and have them report back to an institution of some kind in the night. It is seen as a middle ground between prison abolition and a conventional prison.
As the ACT population was growing, the need for a more systematic approach to dealing with offending behaviour grew. Enderby stressed that regardless of the system, "the emphasis will be on making the offender a better citizen and on giving him a chance to function in society, rather than on the traditional incarceration".
