Females in Custody in the ACT: Gendered Issues and Solutions

Studies have identified that since women comprise only a small proportion of the prison population as a whole this correlates with a higher potential for inadequate gender-specific service provision. We are interested in seeing if, despite the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) being the first Australian jurisdiction to design and operate a prison under human rights legislation, the small number of women prisoners poses particular challenges for meeting their specific needs in the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC). After examining gendered issues identified across Australia, we review the findings of three recent reviews and identify the successes, problems and pitfalls with programs and policies set within a human rights framework. We note some improvement in meeting women inmates’ needs over the past five years and include recommendations to facilitate more positive changes