In his keynote address, Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons in the UK, will give an overview of Britain’s penal policy over the last 20 years, highlighting some of the key challenges and issues the prison system now faces. He will examine the role of an independent prisons inspectorate and compare the UK’s inspectorate system with those systems currently operating in Australian jurisdictions. Popular conceptions about what prison is for and what conditions inside should be like do not always coincide with the aims of legislators. In examining the purpose of prisons, Mr Taylor will identify key policy objectives for ensuring prisons are an effective, efficient and humane component of any criminal justice system.