Victoria plans to get prisoners to help maintain roads. How common is prison work in Australia and what are the issues?
At best, prison work programs increase the chances of successful reintegration after release. At worst, they can be exploitative.
Victoria's Premier Ben Carroll has proposed a program to involve supervised, minimum-security prisoners in roadside maintenance tasks such as rubbish collection, mowing lawns and graffiti removal. The program aims to free up skilled workers for pothole repairs. Currently, 80% of eligible prisoners in Australia were employed in 2024-25, though eligibility varies based on factors like education, illness and short-term incarceration.
Programs exist in NSW and Victoria to employ prison inmates in various industries, including commercial services. Across Australia, 51% of eligible prisoners work in service industries and 28% in commercial industries. Employment rates are lower for Indigenous inmates. Prison work can reduce reoffending but can also be exploitative due to low pay and lack of protections.
Further, work done in prisons often doesn't prepare inmates for life outside, potentially worsening the digital divide. A balanced approach is needed to ensure prison work programs are meaningful, culturally appropriate and lead to better community reintegration.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
