The National Network of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls is sounding the alarm following harrowing revelations from Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in Victoria.
‘These are not signs of a system “in crisis”—this is a prison system collapsing in real time,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
A former prisoner, Kelly Flanagan, has shared the reality inside the Dame Phyllis Frost prison: seven suicide attempts in just four weeks, rolling lockdowns, missed meals, denied legal visits, and no access to vital housing supports—all due to chronic understaffing.
‘Her story is not unique. It is a direct result of a system designed to punish and discard, not support or heal,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘We are told these lockdowns are to “ensure safety.” Yet women in prison are locked in cells for extended periods, denied legal representation, and left to deteriorate mentally and physically. Women are attempting to take their own lives. They are being kept in cells with no visits, no connection to family, no access to services, and no idea when this will let up,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘This is not a failing system. This is a system doing exactly what it was built to do: disappear the most marginalised, criminalised women,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘Let’s be clear: the answer is not more prison officers, more prison beds, or tougher bail laws. The answer is decarceration. We need to stop people ending up in prison in the first place. That means redirecting money away from corrections and into our communities—into housing, education, community-based supports, culturally safe health care, and services that actually keep us safe,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘This is not isolated to Victoria. Only last week, we were in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) spending two full days with women inside the Alice Springs Correctional Centre. There, too, we witnessed under-staffing, lock downs, and women concerned. One woman had attempted to hang herself days before our visit. She was far from her Country, her family, and her children,’ said Tabitha Lean.
‘We saw lawyers turned away at the gate, community services blocked from entering, and even our own visit nearly cancelled due to staff shortages,’ said Tabitha Lean.
‘In Darwin, our scheduled visit with the women was cancelled just 30 minutes before we were due to go in—again, due to a lack of staff. These are desperate times for prisoners across so-called Australia,’ said Tabitha Lean.
But we need to stop acting surprised.
‘This is by design. The tough-on-crime agenda and so-called “law and order” politics are fuelling this collapse. Politicians are scoring points off the backs of the most vulnerable, introducing harsher laws and impossible bail conditions, all while ignoring the reality: prisons do not make us safer,’ said Tabitha Lean.
‘More guards, more jails, and more punishment will not fix this. More money for the corrections system only deepens the crisis. We need a complete shift. One that centres community, care, and connection—not confinement,’ said Tabitha Lean.
How many more women have to die for us to act?
The National Network stand with the many women inside who have been silenced for too long.
We demand an end to this carceral catastrophe. It’s time to invest in people, not prisons.
For further comment, please contact Debbie Kilroy on 0419 762 474 or Tabitha Lean on 0499 780 226.
