services. These include remand status, sentence
length, and previous completion of prison
programs. However, these and other restrictions
have a disproportionate affect on Koori women
who are more likely to be on remand, have been in
prison before or are serving shorter sentences.
on remand in Victoria is increasing and remand
prisoners make up a large proportion of the Koori
female prisoner population. However, because
remand prisoners are not sentenced, they have
limited access to the majority of prison-based
programs.
length of offending behaviour programs, these
are generally for sentenced women rather than
those on remand. However, behaviour/mood
management programs are available to remand
prisoners.
of sentence and program eligibility. Some key
informants reported that to be eligible for programs
prisoners need to be sentenced for more than four
months. For example, VALS told us:
health and rehabilitation programs for
longer term prisoners, but don't have
access to anything for shorter term
prisoners.
Commission "there is no timeframe for access.
From reception into prison programs and services
are offered based on identified need and demand
within the appropriate resourcing parameters."
regardless of remand status or sentence length
have access to the same mental health services as
longer term prisoners".
Focus group interview, 6 March 2013.
Key informant interview, Victorian Aboriginal Legal
Service, 15 November 2012.
Information provided to the Commission by Corrections
Victoria, 15 April 2013.
Information provided to the Commission by Justice
Health, 24 July 2015.
women who have been remanded or have served
short sentences exit prison without adequate
treatment or preparation for release.
reintegration and contributes to recidivism.
remand. She had limited access to services and
was ineligible for offending behaviour and treatment
programs because of her remand status. In her
experience, `remand = boredom'.
capacity, Koori women are ineligible for
programs they have accessed or completed in
their previous sentence or recent past.
are therefore excluded from prison programs,
exacerbating the impact of unmet needs that may
have contributed to their reoffending. The drivers
of the cycle of imprisonment remain unaddressed
due to capacity issues within the prison system.
delivered to Koori female and male prisoners who are
survivors of removal and assimilation policies. The
program runs over five days and provides prisoners
with a culturally appropriate model of healing,
referred to as the Marumali model of healing.
(except those in Marrmak mental health unit and
management units
to talk about their experiences in a culturally safe
environment.
· discuss sensitive issues such as grief and
Focus group interview, 17 January 2013. See also, Harry
Blagg, `Aboriginal women and justice', above n 108.
Focus group participant, 6 March 2013.
Focus group interview, 16 April 2013.
Marrmak unit provides specialist mental health services
to women prisoners at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre.
The management unit includes solitary confinement.
Winangali-Marumali,