Justice Action
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| Founded | 1979 |
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| Type | Community organisation |
| Focus | Prison reform, Criminal Justice, Mental health |
| Location |
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Area served
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Australia |
| Slogan | Targeting abuse of authority |
| Website | www |
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Formerly called
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Prisoner Action |
Justice Action is a not-for-profit community organisation based in Sydney, Australia. Justice Action focuses on abuses of authority in the criminal justice and mental health systems in Australia. Founded in 1979 as Prisoner Action, Justice Action is independent of the Australian government and is funded by voluntary donations and the work of the social enterprise, Breakout Media Communications. Justice Action's coordinator is Brett Collins, an ex-prisoner who began with the organisation in 1979 as co-founder. Alongside Brett, Justice Action is run by a team of interns who are university students in law and other degrees.
In operation for over 30-years, Justice Action is one of the oldest independent prisoners' rights and advocacy services in Australia, and has had a significant impact on the development of criminal justice policy in Australia. It led the creation of various other agencies and organisations, including the Prisoners Legal Service in 1979, following the Nagle Royal Commission into New South Wales Prisons, and the Australian Prisoners Union in 1999.
Justice Action provides ongoing support to prisoners and involuntary mental health patients on a case-by-case basis, with an emphasis on cases that deal with issues of abuse, mistreatment or human rights. Justice Action has mounted recent high-profile campaigns on prison education and access to computers in cells, visitation rights for women prisoners, the prisoners' right to vote, the potential of a prison-based Needle Syringe Program, and the right of involuntary mental health patients to access educational programs, and make decisions concerning their treatment.
Justice Action is regularly invited to attend and present at conferences in Australia and internationally on issues of prison reform, prisoners' rights, and mental health policy.
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