Is the Queensland Australian prison system in need of reform Research Paper

Is the Queensland Australian prison system in need of reform - Research Paper Example Prison deaths often fall into two categories. There is the natural and unnatural death. An unnatural death may be defined as suicide, drug overdose or murder. However, it can be noted that all deaths by drug overdose and suicide remain questionable. This stem from the reason that prison murders can be staged to look like suicides or drug overdoses. Hence, the term â€Å"unnatural death†. For instance, Sir David Longland Correctional Centre (SDLCC), in Queensland, has been reported to have the highest prisoner mortality rate for unnatural deaths than any other Australian maximum-security prison. Over the last decade, an estimated twenty-eight prisoners have died unnatural deaths. The criminal justice system in Queensland, Australia is designed to deal accordingly with people who do not obey the law. At first glance, Queensland’s criminal justice system appears to be fair and just. However, beneath the surface for those that are going through the system, there appears to be injustices, particularly for marginalized citizens, those without power, contacts, or knowledge (Egel, 2007). Circumstances surrounding the unnatural deaths of these prisoners are symptomatic of the observed secrecy that cloaks the Queensland prison system. There seems to be a self-serving secrecy the Queensland Department of Corrective Services has steadily fostered by applying censorship tourniquets that may suppress politically sensitive information ever reaching the media. The Queensland Corrective Services Act 2000, for instance, has been specifically implemented to reinforce that method by regulating the media’s access to Queensland prisoners. It is those restrictive pr actices that may have allowed the killing incidents of Queensland prison facilities to flourish. There are four main goals of prison confinement. These include Incapacitation, Retribution, Rehabilitation and Deterrence. Incapacitation focuses on