children is that their caring and kinship obligations
remain unfulfilled. Some use drugs as way to cope
with this which further disconnects them from their
children, family and culture and exacerbates their
feelings of loss and shame.
suitable post-release accommodation
for Koori women where they can
stabilise and begin to rebuild their
lives, and their relationships with their
children, family and community.
accommodation is crucial to reducing recidivism
and increase reintegration into the community.
conditions. A 2010 Parliamentary Inquiry found that
parole breaches by female prisoners were largely
linked to disadvantage, including lack of access to
housing
criminal justice system as the "most overwhelming
problem identified by the Committee."
of women being placed on remand
due to lack of stable housing; the
forestalling of parole and release due
to lack of housing; and links between
lack of housing and breaches of
parole and reoffending.
housing. I can't get my kids back
without a house. If you don't have a
house you're stuffed.
appropriate supported accommodation options for
Koori women post-prison. This has been noted in
previous studies.
limited housing resources post-release.
Eileen Baldry et al, `Needs Analysis Report', above n
62, 10.
Parliament of Victoria, Drugs and Crime Prevention
Committee, Report no 371, Inquiry into the Impact of
Drug-Related Offending on Female Prisoner Numbers:
Interim Report (2010) v.
Case study 3.
See for example, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity
Commission, `Social Justice Report 2004', above n 82, 34.
are delivered in partnership with the Department
of Human Services are also available to women
post-release.
Thus, while Koori women nominally have priority for
the remaining 10 houses, demand pressures for
these properties from both women seeking bail,
and exiting prison suggest that vacancies would
rarely arise in practice.
a pilot project which provides post-release
accommodation with wrap-around support for
female offenders has had very few Koori residents,
despite it being a very promising solution to
what has long been an intractable problem of
homelessness post-release.
nomination rights to community sector housing
providers, including HomeGround. The
Commission understands that Corrections
Victoria has access to around five transitional
housing properties through HomeGround, with
accommodation available for up to 12 months.
moved into the Elizabeth Street Common Ground
supportive housing project run by HomeGround.
supports for people who have experienced chronic
homelessness. It has proven to be challenging for
some women leaving prison to make the transition
to life at Common Ground whilst they are already
struggling with multiple demands contained in
parole orders, and where mental health, trauma
and drug and alcohol issues remain unresolved
following time in prison.
and support options need to be provided for Koori
women if they are to stand the best chances
of success when leaving prison. A one size fits
all approach to accommodation and support is
unlikely to work.
Information provided to the Commission by Corrections
Victoria, 15 April 2013.
Restart is also available prior to prison and is utilised
by some CISP services. However, as it is based on
an `affordable rent' calculated as a percentage of
market rent, residents may still need a brokerage rental
subsidy to maintain the accommodation.
See, Homeground Services, Elizabeth Street Common
Ground. <http://www.homeground.org.au/case-studies/
elizabeth-street-common-ground/> at 17 July 2013.