The National Network of Incarcerated & Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls condemns the excessive and ongoing use of solitary confinement across Australian prisons. We affirm what the United Nations Mandela Rules clearly state: solitary confinement beyond 15 days amounts to torture.
Erin Patterson has been held in near-continuous isolation at Melbourne’s maximum-security prison for the past 15 months, confined to her cell for more than 22 hours each day.
‘This regime, imposed under the guise of “protection,” is not safety, it is torture. Patterson is not assessed as a risk to others. Instead, she is being isolated because of the risk posed to her by the prison environment itself. This is a gross reflection of the violence and harm inherent to incarceration,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘We reject the false narrative that prisons are places of protection. A cell is not a sanctuary, it is a cage, ‘said Debbie Kilroy. ‘Locking someone away in prolonged isolation destroys mental and physical health, strips people of their humanity, and entrenches suffering. The fact that judges acknowledge these “burdensome” conditions in sentencing decisions highlights the brutality of the prison system itself,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘This case also reveals the damaging role of sensationalist media coverage. Years of relentless attention have turned Patterson into a spectacle, increasing her vulnerability behind bars and fuelling public curiosity at the expense of her basic human rights. Media frenzy not only feeds public appetite for punishment but actively contributes to carceral violence,’ said Tabitha Lean.
‘The National Network’s position is clear: prisons do not make people safe. They are not designed for protection or healing. They are institutions of harm where torture is normalised and legitimised,’ said Tabitha Lean.
‘We call for an end to solitary confinement, and for urgent investment in community-led, solutions to harm which do not require the warehousing of humans in cages,’ said Tabitha Lean.
For further comment, please contact Debbie Kilroy on 0419 762 474 or Tabitha Lean on 0499 780 226
