Erin Patterson, the Australian "mushroom murderer" serving a life sentence for the fatal beef Wellington poisonings, is reportedly being held in near-constant solitary confinement at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, prompting prisoner rights group Justice Action to describe her treatment as tantamount to torture. The group says Patterson is confined to her cell for at least 22 hours a day with contact limited to one other inmate through a wire mesh, and warns this breaches UN "Mandela Rules" limiting solitary confinement to 15 consecutive days, raising concerns about her deteriorating mental health.

Justice Action co-ordinator Brett Collins, a former inmate, said Patterson is frightened and increasingly isolated, and is proposing she be given a trained peer support mentor at no cost to taxpayers to mitigate psychiatric risks. Patterson, 51, was convicted of murdering three relatives with death cap mushroom-laced beef Wellingtons in July 2023 and must serve 33 years before parole eligibility, with the sentencing judge citing the extended solitary confinement expected due to threats from other prisoners who reportedly despise her for betraying their trust. Separately, it emerged this week that Patterson has been approved for the weight-loss drug Ozempic, reportedly because her isolation prevents exercise, a decision that has drawn criticism from a prison source who called it an odd priority given staff safety concerns.