The Prison Record – Garry David and Community Protection

The Prison Record – Garry David and Community Protection was published in 1992 by Jeff Lapidos for the Prison Reform Group for use by schools and students seeking information about Garry David (Webb).

The publication includes David’s written responses to a list of questions from students at Strathmore Secondary College. The responses refer to his personal background, criminal history, self-harm, and writing and art.

It also includes a selection of David’s letters, poetry, and cartoons; the Office of Corrections’ ‘Old’ and ‘New’ Management Plans relating to him; commentary by Fr Norman Gray, Anglican Minister at Pentridge Prison, and material relating to the Community Protection Act 1990 (Vic).

This publication is available at the State Library Victoria.

Files relating to the use of the Community Protection Act in the case of Garry David (also known as Garry Webb, 20 November 1954 – 11 July 1993) are now open to the public and can be accessed through the Public Record Office Victoria.

These records document the government, legal, and correctional decisions that led to his continued detention beyond the completion of his sentence. Their release provides insight into the operation of exceptional detention laws in Victoria and the broader debates they prompted about public safety, mental health, civil liberties, and the limits of state power.

The Community Protection Act 1990 (Vic) was introduced to allow the Victorian Supreme Court to order the continued detention of Garry David (Webb) after the completion of his sentence. The Act permitted preventive detention for renewable twelve-month periods where the Court was satisfied that he posed an ongoing risk to the community.

Access the Community Protection Act here.