Human Rights and Prisons - Rethinking Crime and Punishment

Health dietician who provides input on nutritional value. Menus are planned
over four week cycles to reduce repetition.
There do appear, however, to be examples of inconsistent application of
prison policies with regards to access to different foods. For instance, while
the policies detail that, in providing food and drink, allowance must be made
for the various religious and spiritual needs of prisoners, this has not always
been consistently observed in practice. Between January 2002 to April 2009,
the Human Rights Commission received 17 complaints with regards to
religious beliefs, many of which focused on dietary concerns relating to
religious observance. Corrections have attempted to address kosher diet
requirements, including consultation with a Rabbi on different options.
Corrections have also recently confirmed that their food is now 100% halal
accredited. Beyond these issues, the Commission has received complaints
from prisoners related to their food allergies or intolerances that were not
being accommodated.
A further concern has been that prisoners are eating meals in their cells,
rather than a communal dining space. As the Ombudsmen‟s Office (2005:29)
remarked, „In our view prisoners are entitled to eat at tables in civilised dining
conditions‟. Eating food in cells increases the social isolation of prisoners;
further, many prisoners have to eat in the same room as they toilet in.
Another issue has been the long period that some prisoners may face
between their evening meal and breakfast.
4.6 Access to Personal Property
Law and policy framework
Parts P.01-P.10 of the Prison Service Operations Manual relates to property.
Schedule One of the Corrections Regulations establishes permissible prisoner
property. Prisoners are allowed: eye glasses and contact lenses, a watch,
legal papers, a reasonable amount of personal papers and correspondence,
approved study material and equipment (such as study guides, textbooks), up
to 13 books (including religious texts), up to 10 magazines, up to 12 cassette
tapes, up to 12 CDs, religious material (such as Muslim headcover or prayer
mat, Jewish headcover, Buddhist prayer beads, crucifix), stationery, posters,
normal purchase items, toiletries, approved medication and medical
assistance, personal and family photographs, bedding, a mat, a mirror and a
reasonable amount of hobby materials.
Prisoners are also permitted electronic items, which may include: one
radio/cassette/CD player or similar, one TV set, one radio/clock, one electric
razor, one personal computer, one electric fan, one multibox, one hairdryer,
one bed lamp and one electric jug. Conditions are placed on the
stereosystem (relating to size, form and power) and the personal computer
(that it is required for an educational course; that other computers are not
available; that loaded material will relate directly to the course; and that the
computer will be removed on completion of educational tasks). All electrical
equipment must be subject to an electrical check, at the prisoner‟s expense.
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