In the face of growing calls for the construction of a new prison in Mount Isa, the National Network are once again confronted by the limitations of community leader’s imagination when it comes to addressing complex social challenges. ‘Proposals like new prison builds reflect a deeply ingrained belief that incarceration is the only solution to societal harm—a belief rooted in the prison industrial complex and its tight hold on our thinking,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘The fact is, people can hardly envision a future beyond the prison bars, because a law-and-order response is all they have ever known,’ said Debbie Kilroy. ‘Prisons have been sold to us not only as necessary for safety but as economic drivers for struggling communities. Yet, this way of thinking is nothing more than a tool of racial capitalism, perpetuating cycles of violence and reinforcing inequality. We must reject the idea that prisons benefit our communities either socially or economically,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘Politicians and those in power often call for an end to violence in our streets and homes, but they fail to see that their only response to harm is carceral violence,’ said Debbie Kilroy. ‘It is a deeply flawed response to subject those who harm others to yet more violence and isolation. This system doesn’t solve the underlying problems—it exacerbates them,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘We must be courageous enough to imagine new ways of addressing ‘crime’: poverty, racism, poor mental health, domestic and family violence, and a lack of stable and affordable housing. These are social crises that cannot be solved by locking people away,’ said Tabitha Lean. ‘Instead, we need to build communities of care, where we address these issues with compassion and support, enabling people to flourish and contribute positively to our communities,’ said Tabitha Lean.
‘Mount Isa does not need a prison. What Mount Isa needs is an investment in its people. We should be advocating for increases to Centrelink payments, such as Newstart, and a guaranteed liveable income to lift people out of poverty. We should be lobbying for more public housing, so everyone has a safe and secure place to call home. We need to direct funding toward social services, mental health support, and transformative justice projects, which aim to heal rather than punish,’ said Tabitha Lean.
‘Let us be clear: building a prison, even closer to the community, will not solve the problem. The issues in Mount Isa and many other communities across Australia stem from a lack of jobs, housing, and mental health services—not from the absence of a prison,’ said Tabitha Lean. ‘Incarcerating people far from home, or even closer to home, will not address these systemic problems. We cannot incarcerate our way out of social decay,’ said Tabitha Lean. ‘The National Network call for a moratorium on new prison builds. Every dollar spent on expanding the carceral system is a dollar taken away from community-based initiatives that could truly make a difference,’ said Debbie Kilroy. ‘Instead of reinforcing the cage, we need to encourage community leaders to think beyond it,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘The solution to harm is not more harm. It is time we invest in solutions that uplift, empower, and strengthen our communitie —not those that disappear people from them. Let’s break free from the limited vision of the prison industrial complex and work together to create a future of care, not cages,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
For further comment, please contact Debbie Kilroy on 0419 762 474 or Tabitha Lean on 0499 780
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