IN-CJ Newsdesk 2022 – Developing a Rehabilitative Culture in Australian Prisons
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In this discussion from the IN-CJ Newsdesk 2002, Governor Paul Baker Governor of Parklea Prison, a MTC-Broadspectrum managed correction centre in Sydney Australia, discusses with Sarah Mallender Deputy Governor, and Ferry Lee Senior Psychologist, what the differences are between governing prisons in the UK and Australia, and the complexity of trying to start and develop a rehabilitative culture.
This IN-CJ Newsdesk discussion explored how Parklea Correctional Centre in Sydney has worked to establish and embed a rehabilitative culture within the New South Wales prison system. Led by Governor Paul Baker, Deputy Governor Sarah Mallander, and Senior Psychologist Ferry Lee, the session examined how staff and inmates have contributed to a shift in prison practice from containment to rehabilitation.
At the centre of this transformation is the “BIONIC” philosophy – Believe It Or Not, I Care. This approach emphasises care, safety, security, and decency as the foundation of a rehabilitative environment. Staff described how daily parades, mentoring schemes, and pro-social modelling have helped reshape working culture, while inmates highlighted the value of initiatives that give them voice and agency.
Among these initiatives are inmate committees, peer support systems, and an incentive framework that rewards positive behaviour. Programmes such as the drug recovery wing, culturally significant activities for Aboriginal inmates, and forthcoming peer listener schemes demonstrate how rehabilitation is being supported in diverse ways.
The discussion also touched on challenges, including media portrayals of private prisons and the need for language that avoids reinforcing stigma. Participants stressed that building trust, recognising dignity, and fostering responsibility are essential for reducing reoffending and creating safer communities.
This Newsdesk session showed that cultural change is possible when leadership, staff, and inmates work together towards rehabilitation. Parklea’s experience offers lessons in how prisons can move beyond containment to create environments of respect, safety, and personal growth.
Listen to the full discussion in IN-CJ Newsdesk 2022 – Developing a Rehabilitative Culture in Australian Prisons.
