The report, Alternatives to pre-trial detention by Dr Bernhard Ripperger, was developed as part of his APPI Policy Fellowship and comes as the number of people held on remand in NSW – meaning people in custody while awaiting trial – reaches record levels, now accounting for nearly half of the adult prison population. Almost 9 in 10 people received into a correction centre on any given day are on remand. The report sets out alternatives centred on expanding structured bail supervision and developing community-based approaches to managing individuals outside of full-time custody. Drawing on successful models in Scotland and South Australia, the research shows these approaches can strengthen compliance with bail conditions, reduce pressure on the prison system and more effectively and efficiently deliver corrective services.
