Many aspect of the prison are discussed in the ACT Legislative Assembly and its committees (http://www.parliament.act.gov.au/).

Estimate Committee Hearings

Issues regarding the prison are raised in estimate committee hearings before which ministers and their departments appear. See, for example, on the following dates:

20 May 2009 at http://www.hansard.act.gov.au/hansard/2009/comms/estimates04.pdf
Department of Justice & Community Safety – Pp. 419ff

20 May 2008 at http://www.hansard.act.gov.au/hansard/2005/comms/estimates43.pdf
Department of Justice & Community Safety – Pp. 224–238 in relation to the prison staffing, programs etc

21 May 2008 at http://www.hansard.act.gov.au/hansard/2005/comms/estimates44.pdf
ACT Health - Pages 345 – 350 and brief points on pg 396 in relation to corrections health services

Standing Committee on Community Services and Social Equity

The forgotten victims of crime: families of offenders and their silent sentence, June 2004, Report 06 at http://www.parliament.act.gov.au/downloads/reports/cs06supportservices1.pdf
The Government’s response to that report is at http://www.parliament.act.gov.au/downloads/reports/5th%20CSSE%2006.pdf

Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety

Inquiry into the establishment of an ACT prison: justification and siting, First interim report in the prison series, Report no. 3, July 1999 at http://www.parliament.act.gov.au/downloads/reports/03prisonsite.pdf
The committee’s first interim report, tabled on 1 July 1999, explained why an ACT prison is justified and recommended the establishment of an ACT prison complex which should include a remand centre.

The proposed ACT prison facility: philosophy and principles, Second interim report in the prison series, Report no. 4, October 1999 at http://www.parliament.act.gov.au/downloads/reports/J04prisonphilosophyprinciples.pdf
This report set out the committee’s view on what the guiding philosophy of the prison should be.

Committee visit to Western Australia, the Northern Territory and South Australia, Third interim report in the prison series, Report no. 11, December 2000 at http://www.parliament.act.gov.au/downloads/reports/J11committeevisit.pdf
The report included recommendations relevant to the proposed ACT’s arising from the committee’s visits to Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

The A.C.T. prison project: operational models, strategic planning and community involvement, Fourth report in the prison series, Report no. 16, August 2001 at http://www.parliament.act.gov.au/downloads/reports/J16prison.pdf
This, the final report of the committee on the prison project included recommendation on the appropriate model for the prison’s operations and comments on the Rengain report and on the work of the Prison Community Panel.