First month
What to expect on first time in prison. First day – new arrivals are strip searched, given prison clothes, bedding and cutlery, then taken to a unit and placed in a cell. This normally happens after the unit has been locked down because of how slow the admission process is. The unit is normally a high security unit used for induction of new arrivals. New arrivals can spend a month or longer in an induction unit. Subsequently, they may be moved to a different unit, possibly even a different prison. This will often depend on the person’s security rating.
What are the cells like?
Most cells have two beds, a television, a sink and a toilet. There are single bed cells scattered around different prisons but there is usually a waiting list to get a single bed cell. Most cells have a shower in the cell, except for B-Division at Yatala and Green-Bush and Blue-Bush Units at Port Augusta. The cells do not look like some in the movies, with bars going from floor to ceiling on one side. There is a strong security door for the entrance and (usually) a small window at the back. Each cell is probably about the size of a small bathroom.
Certain prisons have cottage style living units. These are 4 or 5 bedroom cottages, most with 2 beds per bedroom, which have a common lounge, kitchen, and bathroom. Port Augusta, Mobilong, Cadell, Mount Gambier and Port Lincoln have these types of units. People living in these units are given a food budget each week to buy and cook their own food. The budget works out to about $50-60 per person per week. The food is purchased through weekly orders from the local supermarket.
Security rating
There are three broad security ratings – High, Medium and Low. Similarly, prisons are generally classified as High, Medium or Low security prisons. A prisoner’s security classification is calculated on a number of factors, including the type of offence they are charged with (or convicted of), number of offences charged, previous offences, and other criteria. It is common for violent offenders to be classified as High security and drug related offenders to be classified as Medium.
If a prisoner is classified as High security, they cannot be transferred to a Medium security prison. The Adelaide Remand Centre, Port Augusta Prison, and Yatala Prison are high security prisons. (However, Yatala also has a medium security unit). Mobilong Prison and Mount Gambier Prison are medium security prisons. Cadell Training Centre and the Adelaide Pre-release Centre are low security prisons. Port Lincoln prison also has a number of different security ratings, depending on the units within the prison.
Getting a sentence plan
Usually, a prisoner must attend an interview for their Individual Development Plan (IDP) with 4-6 weeks after sentencing. During this interview, the staff will ask the prisoner what prison they would like to be held in. This question should be taken lightly. They rarely accommodate a request. They give little regard to visits or family access. Instead, they determine placement by security rating and bed space. In creating this sentence plan, they will consider the type of offending and determine whether they need to conduct further assessments for participation in rehabilitation programs. For example, a person who commits a violent crime will likely have to be assessed for participation in a Violence Prevention Program.
About 4 – 6 weeks after this assessment is done, the prisoner will receive notice that their IDP is done. This IDP will include a rough guide to sentence plan – that is, what prisons they will spend their time in, and when they will be transferred to other prisons throughout the sentence. NOTE – this plan is not concrete, it is a rough guide. Correctional Services can alter this plan for a number of reasons if they deem necessary.
Generally speaking (as a very rough guide), a High Security prisoner might have a plan that is divided in thirds. About a third of their sentence in High security, a third in Medium security, and the rest in Low security. This can change depending on behavior, bed spaces, availability of any rehabilitation courses a prisoner must do, and other reasons. Not everyone ends up at a High security prison after their IDP is complete. Many may be transferred to a Medium security prison following IDP. It all depends on the determination of security rating.
Working toward release
The obvious goal is to be released as early as possible. It is important to understand that the parole date set on most sentences is NOT necessarily the date a person will be released. It is therefore often called the date ‘eligible for release’. Depends on the offence type and sentence length, some people have AUTOMATIC PAROLE – which means they will be released no matter what within a month of their parole date.
However, if the sentence is not AUTOMATIC PAROLE, it means release on parole must be applied for. Prisoners often spend months in prison well after their parole date because of administrative delays. Prisoners who do not have AUTOMATIC PAROLE can be refused parole and instead serve their whole sentence. Refusal normally only occurs if a prisoner continually breaks the rules, or refuses to participate n a rehabilitation program, or simply refuses to show remorse for their offending.
Progressing from high to low security
Progressing from higher security prisons to lower security prisons throughout the sentence is favourable for the best chance of gaining parole. HOW IS THIS DONE? Prison security ratings and progress through prisons is managed through the case review processes. Generally speaking, Correctional Services will conduct a case review on each prisoner (usually) every 12 months.
Prisoners can ask for their security rating to be lowered during case reviews. The person seeking to have their security rating lowered must be incident-free during the relevant case review period. A case review is done by the Case Management Coordinator (CMC). The prisoner being case reviewed can provide written submissions to support an application to have their security rating lowered.
The CMC will also make recommendations about the security rating. ASK FOR AS MUCH POINTS AS POSSIBLE TO BE REMOVED FROM THE SECURITY RATING! CMC’s can recommend up to a 20 point drop in points, although 5-10 points is the norm. At the end of the review, the submissions and CMC recommendations are sent to the Sentence Management Unit (or the Serious Offender Committee). They then decide whether to lower the security rating and transfer the prisoner to another prison.
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