More than a third of prisoners are locked up without a sentence. For decades, that number has been growing

The number of people held in Australia’s prisons has been steadily climbing for decades, well faster than the rate of population growth. (Illustration: Emma Machan)

Ace Donovan spent three months in prison charged with serious drug offences, only to avoid a jail sentence when she finally reached court. 

That might seem unfair to some, but her story isn't that unusual.