The ACT is building a new prison. It will house ACT prisoners and will enable prisoners currently in NSW to be housed in the ACT, close to family and friends.

The prison, according to the ACT Government (read Chief Minister Jon Stanhope's 2004 speech) will be modelled on the works of Alexander Maconochie who was a prison reformer and governor of Norfolk Island prison . The prison will be called the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) (read about Alexander Maconochie and the AMC). 

At issue is the provision of health services in the AMC. In the passage of the legislation, and because of pressure from a variety of interested parties, the ACT Government made a significant amendment. In the Bill it was proposed that all responsibility for the prison. including health, be vested in Corrections. The welcome change was that the doctor responsible for prison health will now be vested in the Department of Health.

However the debate about provision of health services continues and at issue is the provision of a needle and syringe exchange program in the prison. 

• Read the August issue of the FFDLR Newsletter for more information. 

• Here is an information paper on NSP by Social Research & Evaluation Pty Ltd,

• Lessons from a Comprehensive Review of International Evidence and Experience

• the World Health Organisation's Status Paper on Prisons Drugs and Harm Reduction, and

• the UN Office of Drugs and Crime's HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care, Treatment and Support in Prison Settings - A Framework for an Effective National Response (PDF files).

Everyone knows that drugs get into our most secure institutions - prisons! It does not matter how hard we try to stop it, it still happens!

Anyone who has thought about it knows that syringes are shared in prisons and that is a major cause of contraction of blood born viruses such as Hep C!

Prisons can be major sources of epidemics for blood born viruses. Prisoners when released can spread the disease throughout the community - to family and to friends, who in turn can spread it to more in the community. 

Recent studies conducted in New South Wales prisons have shown that approximately one-third of all male prisoners are hepatitis C positive. Among female prisoners the rate is almost double, with approximately two-thirds being hepatitis C positive.

This is a cost in both health terms and costs to the community.

But there is a simple solution! A solution that is available in the community. 

A needle and syringe program which has been proven to reduce the spread of the disease in the community, and to save money.

Prisoners should have access to the same health services - they are in jail as punishment, not to receive more punishment.

Your help is needed!

Here are some suggestions of what  you can do:

• Write a letter or email to or telephone ACT Legislative Assembly members. See contact list here>>>>

• Write a letter or email to or telephone anyone else who might have a vital interest. See contact list here>>>

• Write letters to the editor of The Canberra Times, the Chronicle, and other ACT or neighbouring newspapers. See contact list here>>> (Want some help on writing letters to the editor? click here)

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Here are some additional resources that will help you to know what to say:

• Submission by FFDLR: 

  • Full report:Inquiry into support services for families of people in custody by the Standing Committee on Community Services and Social Equity of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory 

  • Extract: find it here

• Letters published or sent to newspapers

• Reports into the value and cost savings of the Needle and Syringe Program.

  1. ANCD Needle and syringe programs - Position Paper

  2. Return on investment in NSP - full report

  3. Return on investment in NSP - summary report