More support needed to break prison cycle
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A prison conference in Hobart has heard that there needs to be more money, support and public understanding to break the cycle of reoffending.
The "Prison Break" conference is being attended by 160 delgates from Australia and New Zealand.
They are discussing the reason people commit crimes and how society is letting prisoners down both in and out of the system.
The conference heard that the rate of reoffending has never been so high.
Social researcher Professor Eileen Baldry says that is because of a seemingly unbreakable cycle that starts from early childhood and is difficult to escape due to social disadvantage.
Professor Baldry says prisoners find it easier to re-offend so they can return to the organised setting of jail, rather than face the difficulties of finding accommodation and employment.
The conference also heard imprisonment rates have grown dramatically, with the country's jail population more than 20 per cent percent larger than it was a decade ago.
The number of women in prison has increased by 80 percent, while for men it is 40 per cent.
Social Secretary of the Salvation Army, Jenny Begent, says the response to drug and alcohol use is letting prisoners down.
"There's not a lot of support for those clients who really want to attempt their recovery whilst they're in prison and see it as an opportunity to do so," she said.
The conference runs for the next three days.
