Koori women that to really assist women to get back
on track, support is needed to re-establish their
skills as parents and to address basic life skills.
several children and were in out- of-home care
themselves, so they may not have had a chance
to develop these skills before coming to prison.
In our conversations with Koori women, it was
clear that women exiting prison need assistance
to reconnect with their children and that support
programs pre and post-release are crucial.
Faces program and could also form part of any
residential diversion or post-release services
developed in the future.
Deaths in Custody and international
research have emphasised the
devastating impact that a disconnect
with country and culture caused by
incarceration has on the identity and
wellbeing of Indigenous people. Both
conclude that connection to culture
can serve as a preventive measure
against risk-taking behaviours.
identified that disconnection from culture further
entrenched Koori women in patterns of offending
and imprisonment. Many women expressed
concern about being judged and excluded
because they had been in prison.
essential to their healing and keeping them out of
prison. They told us this could be done by:
· assistance with `knowing your mob'
· support to locate family members, especially for
Ms Tammy Solonec, Director, National Congress
of Australia's First Peoples, cited in Parliament of
Australia, `Report into Justice Reinvestment', above n
34, 23.
implications for the design of diversionary options.
sustainable and comprehensive means of
reducing the over-representation of Koori women
in prison is by establishing a hub and spoke where
women can step up and step down supports as
appropriate, without losing continuity.
linking it with case management, drug and alcohol
services, trauma, family support and other services
as the spokes would be the most cost effective
method of integrating services for Koori women
and offers the best prospects for success.
and service integration issues in a culturally
appropriate way, and have the added advantage
of establishing connections between the
services that Koori women are using across all
diversionary domains. It could also share its
expertise with agencies including Victoria Police,
Corrections Victoria and the Courts and so help
to address some of the systemic barriers to take
up of mainstream services and programs. Most
importantly it could provide a sense of continuity
and certainty to one of the most vulnerable groups
in our community as they address the causes and
consequences of their offending.
involve lead times, building the spokes and
effecting service reforms on existing programs
could be done more quickly. Thereafter, program
additions such as the hub property could be
added to the platform.