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In December 2017, Australia ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) – a protocol to prevent torture and other forms of mistreatment in prisons.
As part of the initiative, institutions will be required to undergo a series of thorough inspections; and will face greater accountability for the mismanagement of antisocial behavior.
In the wake of the ratification, corrective institutions throughout Australia are beginning to prepare for these check-ups; ensuring that they have the necessary structures and procedures in place to prevent inmate cruelty.
But with the initiative still in infancy, many are uncertain of their obligations and the exact measures they need to implement to become fully OPCAT compliant.
In light of this, Informa’s annual Prisons 2018 Conference – 2-3 August in Melbourne – will feature insights from the Commonwealth Ombudsman, Mr. Michael Manthorpe PSM, and take a forensic look at how the protocol will be enacted at a Federal level.
Mr. Manthorpe, who was appointed to the role on 8 May 2017 for a five-year term, will discuss the Commonwealth Ombudsmen’s role as the National Preventative Control Mechanism.
He will outline the numerous verticals that institutions will be assessed under during OPCAT inspections; as well as addressing some of the key myths that are currently surrounding the protocol.
Joining Mr. Manthorpe on the speaker line-up is Victorian Ombudsman, Ms. Deborah Glass OBE, who will discuss OPCAT compliance from a state perspective.
Now in its seventh year, the Prisons 2018 Conference has firmly established itself as Australia’s leading event for corrective services departments, agencies, institutions and industry stakeholders.