A prisoner is required to work while in prison [Correctional Services Act 1982 s.29], although the old penal notion of hard labour does not apply today. Remand prisoners are not required to work, but can if they wish and if work is available in the institution they are held. The Chief Executive Officer must ensure that the work provided to prisoners helps them gain skills which may be useful when they are released [Correctional Services Act 1982 s.29(3)]. At Yatala Labour Prison, for example, industries include boot making, bakery, laundry work, spray painting, engineering, furniture making and tailoring.

One of the special privileges a prisoner may be granted (which may also be removed if the prisoner misbehaves) is the freedom to visit the prison library in the evenings. Prisons also provide technical and further education courses for prisoners.

Every prisoner is entitled to a basic allowance at a rate fixed by the Minister of Correctional Services [Correctional Services Act 1982 s.31(1)]. Prisoners who work can earn a further allowance [Correctional Services Act 1982 s.31(2)]. In addition, the Minister can establish a system of bonus payments for those who work well in prison [Correctional Services Act 1982 s.31(2a)]. The money earned is kept in an account in the prisoner's name by the manager of the prison. The manager has a discretion to allow withdrawals to be made from any account held by a prisoner [Correctional Services Act 1982 s.31(4b)].

The manager can pay up to 30% of the prisoner's weekly income into an account in the prisoner's name to be used in assisting the prisoner to resettle in the community when released. The prisoner may not draw on that account while in prison unless the manager considers that special reasons exist [Correctional Services Act 1982 ss.31(4a),(4b)].

The manager of a prison must provide a prison canteen where certain prescribed items for personal use or consumption and any other items the manager thinks fit, which may be purchased by prisoners using money from their allowances [Correctional Services Act 1982 s.32].

Under the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) [s93(8)], a person serving a sentence of imprisonment of three years or longer cannot vote in Commonwealth elections. Under the South Australian Electoral Act 1985 , a prisoner may be enrolled for, and may vote at, State elections, either in the electoral district where the prisoner previously resided or, in certain circumstances, in the prison's electoral district. A vote sent by a prisoner to a Returning Officer can only be opened by the Returning Officer or the Returning Officer’s delegate [Electoral Act 1985 s.120(2)].

Each prison provides medical assistance either by a nurse or a visiting doctor. There is no reason why a prisoner cannot consult his or her own medical practitioner provided that the medical practitioner is prepared to visit the prison. However, a private medical practitioner may not be permitted to use prison medical facilities to examine a prisoner. In cases requiring specialist treatment the manager must, if asked, make special arrangements to transport the prisoner to a hospital or other institution. At Yatala Labour Prison, there is an infirmary for prisoners when they are ill. The Adelaide Remand Centre also has a small infirmary. James Nash House can treat those needing psychiatric care. This facility was the first in Australia that was built by a correctional services department but administered by a department of health. Since its opening, similar institutions have opened in both Western Australia and Queensland.