The number of incarcerated Australians increased 40% over a five-year period from 2012, with ever increasing numbers of female prisoners – which grew 10% in the last 12 months – remand, and high security prisoners.

Adding to this problem is the fact that the cost per prisoner per day increased over the past two years and across Australia per year currently sits at an average of $107,000 per year – considerably higher than the OECD cost of $65,000. 

With prison overcrowding threatening the effectiveness of rehabilitation, vocational, and educational programs – to the detriment of inmates and the broader community, recidivism rates increasing and corrections costs soaring, the time to transform the future of justice and corrections in Australia and New Zealand is now.

Ahead of the Future Justice & Corrections Summit 2020 we spoke to leaders in the field from across the corrections sector to truly understand the challenge, the innovations presenting a solution, and the steps needed to initiate transformative change.