Private Profits from Prison Labour

Centre Members: C. Fenwick
Research Staff: C. Haan, K. Shaw

The research in this project was completed during 2003. It examined the legal regulation of the work done by prisoners in Australia and internationally, from the point of view of labour law, and in particular from the point of view of ILO Convention 29 concerning forced labour. The interpretation of Convention 29, a fundamental human rights instrument, is increasingly questioned by both governments and employers in light of the worldwide trend to contract out the operation of prisons. The project sought to place the present focus on the application of Convention 29 in the broader framework of the relationship between globalisation and universal international standards, particularly those protecting fundamental human rights.

During 2003 two publications were completed as part of this project. One appeared in the Australian Journal of Labour Law and the second was accepted for publication in the Human Rights Quarterly.