Abstract
The Nagle Royal Commission Report recommendations fall into 2 categories: the ‘fundamental principles’ group and the practical ‘what-to-do-on-the-ground’ group. Both are essential to reform but, without adherence to the principles of prison as the last resort, prison not to be used to lock away people with social problems society can’t handle and constant external vigilance (Nagle 1978), the practical reforms, important though they are, will not resolve the serious matters Nagle identified.