While a location is yet to be determined, the Liberals’ promise to build the facility in the North should be welcomed by the public.

Yes, Tasmania already has Risdon prison, but for inmates not from the South, the effects of being housed at the other end of the state could be damaging both mentally and physically.

So far, the reaction from the community has been mixed.

Some say those in Risdon are criminals and gave up their rights when they committed their crimes while others have welcomed the idea of having a facility closer to home.

At the end of the day, rehabilitation should be a large focus when sending offenders to prison.

And with the only prison based several hours down the highway for many inmates, there is a lack of opportunity for them to maintain that connection with their family, which could greatly impact on their ability to make positive changes while in custody. 

That in turn impacts on the wider community.

If we throw people in jail and simply “leave them there to rot”, they return to the community exactly as they were, if not worse.

Launceston-based lawyer and vice president of the state’s Law Society, Evan Hughes, raised another valid point when questioned over the need for a Northern prison.

Mr Hughes said it would create a “more efficient justice system”.

It was revealed in 2016 that Tasmania had the longest and largest court backlog in the country.

Mr Hughes suggested having access to prisoners in a Northern prison would see less adjournments and therefore, ease the backlog. A quicker system would also benefit victims of crime by not prolonging their court experience. 

That then brings in the issue of taxpayers’ money. 

While $270 million to build the new jail may seem like a significant amount, it would alleviate the cost of sending legal aid representatives from Launceston to Risdon to visit clients, which is taxpayers’ money.

If the community is still not convinced, there is the simple fact that Risdon is beyond its capacity. A report released late last year by the state’s Custodial Inspector, Richard Connock, described Risdon as “overcrowded and out-dated”.