Behind the bars of Australia’s expanding prison system
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Last week, a report into government services found more than $1 billion is spent keeping children in youth detention a year.
It’s the highest number ever spent on youth detention annually, and it goes hand in hand with expansions in the adult prison system too – including the building of 37 new prisons since 2000.
More Australians are behind bars than ever before but increasing evidence shows there has actually been less offending, and specifically less homicide, since 1993.
Instead, increases to prison spending, building and the number of incarcerated Australians are mostly due to government changes to criminal laws and policies.
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