Last week, a report into government services found more than $1 billion is spent keeping children in youth detention a year.

It’s the highest number ever spent on youth detention annually, and it goes hand in hand with expansions in the adult prison system too – including the building of 37 new prisons since 2000.

More Australians are behind bars than ever before but increasing evidence shows there has actually been less offending, and specifically less homicide, since 1993. 

Instead, increases to prison spending, building and the number of incarcerated Australians are mostly due to government changes to criminal laws and policies.

Image: Photo by Fifaliana-joy. https://pixabay.com/photos/fence-freedom-prison-hands-fingers-2163951/

Produced By: Jessica O’Bryan

Featured In Story: Dr Mindy Sotiri, Executive Director of the Justice Reform Initiative , and Dr Naama Blatman, Scientia Fellow at the Cities Institute at the University of New South Wales

First aired on The Wire, Wednesday 5 February 2025