The ACT Prison: Human Rights Rhetoric Versus Crowded and Bored Reality

The Australian Capital Territory opened its first prison, the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) in 2009. Named after a 19th Century reformer who is often dubbed the �father of parole�, the AMC is Australia�s first �human rights� prison, in one of only two Australian jurisdictions to be governed by a human rights framework. As this article will illustrate, however, the AMC has failed to live up to its lofty goals, with a recent Auditor- General�s report concluding that there was �a very large gap between what was anticipated and what has occurred since the opening of the AMC�. Two key issues � overcrowding and the lack of meaningful activities for prisoners � will be considered in this article.