Beyond Bars: Exploring Challenges and Solutions to the Problem of Short Custodial Stays in Regional South Australia

The problem of short custodial stays

There is longstanding international criticism of the efficacy of short stays in prison and the intended and unintended consequences of such. Short periods of detention (whether remanded or sentenced) offer too brief a time to work with and change an ‘offender’ and create chaos and churn for correctional institutions. The problem of churning subsequently prohibits correctional (and external) staff’s ability to plan purposefully and successfully for an individual’s release.

It is common to think that shorter periods in custody are not only less harmful to prisoners’ mental and physical well-being, but also help to keep their life opportunities more or less intact, including connections to family, employers, housing and the like. However, evidence suggests short stays erodes the socioeconomic connections known to support community (re)integration and instead creates the conditions that foster re-engagement with the criminal justice system and ensuing cycles of imprisonment (e.g. homelessness). For many, the reality is that short stays can create a situation where they become ‘permanent temporary residents’ in custody.

Despite the associated challenges, to date, there is limited analysis of the problem of short custodial stays in Australia generally, and even less focused specifically on this issue in regional communities.

A national first: Analysing the problem of short custodial stays in regional communities in South Australia

In a national first and in partnership with Centacare Catholic Country SA, the Centre for Social Impact at Flinders University’s Beyond Bars project analyses the problem of short custodial stays in two regional communities that house prisons – Port Augusta and Port Lincoln.

The focus on regional communities is deliberate and motivated by knowledge that:

• Two thirds of South Australia’s prisons are located in rural and remote communities.
• Regional communities often have unique challenges e.g. geographic isolation; limited access to health and social supports; path-dependent economies and associated job-insecurity and smaller populations.

Through analysis of statistical data and qualitative enquiry, this project:

• Explores the scale and nature of the problem of short custodial stays in the two regional communities and similarities and differences between them.
• Identifies challenges arising from short custodial stays in relation to local social and health services provision.
• Investigates and proposes more effective approaches to improve policy and practice.

Suggested citation: Mizzi, J., Hughes, C., Halsey, M., Cleary, J., Deegan, S., and Goodwin-Smith, I., (2024). Beyond Bars: Exploring Challenges and Solutions to the Problem of Short Custodial Stays in Regional South Australia. Centre for Social Impact, Flinders University. https://doi.org/10.25957/5r7j-... .