ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the use and conditions of imprisonment in Australasian countries. It provides a snapshot of the use, extent and position of imprisonment in Australasia's diverse countries. The chapter also provides insight into the major trends and themes of punishment that cut across Australasian countries. It presents the key similarities and differences among Australasian countries' approaches to imprisonment. It then provides a thematic analysis of punishment and prisons in Australasia. The chapter explores the common penal trends and themes that cut across Australasian countries. Australia and New Zealand have taken a multi-pronged approach to addressing the growing number of people entering the prison with cognitive impairments and/or mental illness. Primarily this approach has focused on supporting people with cognitive impairments and/or mental illness during their contact with police, or by implementing court-based processes that might divert people with cognitive impairments and/or mental illness from prison.
