Unfinished business: Koori women and the justice system Page 83

Chapter 6: Koori women's experiences in prison and post release 79

Recommendations

Noting the low numbers of Koori women in
Tarrengower prison that Corrections Victoria, in
consultation with the Aboriginal Justice Forum:

· establish a sustainable model for delivering

Koori specific programming and supports
across Tarrengower and Dame Phyllis Frost
Centres in order to address the isolation
reported by Koori women when transferred to
Tarrengower

· promote earlier access from Dame Phyllis Frost

Centre to Tarrengower, by enhancing the cultural
appropriateness of security assessment and
classification tools, as set out in the Sentence
Management Manual (AC3).

Noting that there are currently only two Koori
independent prison visitors in Victoria, that
Corrections Victoria review this program, including
eligibility criteria so that more Koori community
members may participate.

Noting the complexity of navigating services, that
Corrections Victoria publish, in a range of formats,
a list of programs available to Koori women
on Community Corrections Orders, custodial
sentences and remand. This information should be
updated regularly, tabled at the Aboriginal Justice
Forum and distributed to female Koori prisoners,
Community Corrections clients, Corrections staff,
including those in regional offices, Magistrates,
Regional Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committees
and Chief Executive Officers, legal services,
community organisations and advocates.

Noting barriers to Koori women participating in
mainstream programs, that Corrections Victoria
establish Koori specific programming at Dame
Phyllis Frost Centre, including culturally appropriate
parenting support programs, cultural connection,
trauma and victimisation interventions delivered
by Koori practitioners, and that uptake of these
programs be regularly reported to the Aboriginal
Justice Forum.

Noting the high rates of trauma and victimisation
among Koori women prisoners, and the need
for dedicated healing programs in prison, that
programs such as the Marumali Cultural Healing
program be delivered on a regular basis.

That current restrictions on women who have
accessed programs during previous sentences be
removed.

That the prohibition on Koori remandees accessing
transitional programs including Konnect and the
Women's Integrated Support Program be removed.

That the response to the Koori Prisoner Mental
Health and Cognitive Function Study include a
specific focus on women.

That access to crimonogenic alcohol and drug
programs be extended to Koori women on
remand where substance misuse is identified
as a contributing factor to the alleged offence.
Participation in such a program should not infer
guilt. Access to these programs should also be
improved for Koori women on short sentences.

That working in partnership with the Victorian
Aboriginal Controlled Health Organisations
that Justice Health further meets its obligations
regarding culturally appropriate health programs
and build a Koori health workforce. This includes:

· ensuring contracts with heath providers contain

requirements to recruit, train and deploy prison
health workers who are Koori

· contracting Koori organisations to provide

inreach services and to participate in transition
planning to ensued continuity of health care.

Noting that few Koori women have accessed the
Restart Housing project that the Department of
Human Services, Mission Australia and Melbourne
City Mission work with work with members of the
Aboriginal Justice Forum to:

· enhance the cultural safety of the Restart

Project so that Koori women are better able
to access this comprehensive post-release
housing option

· develop a Koori based Restart model to be

delivered in partnership with an Aboriginal
controlled organisation and funded as a
homelessness initiative

· Corrections Victoria negotiate and resource

nomination rights for Koori women exiting prison
into these projects, and provide brokerage funds
to support these placements.

The Koori Offender Support and Mentoring
Program be enhanced for Koori women in order to
support greater compliance with parole conditions.

That the Sentencing Advisory Council undertake
research on patterns of parole conditions and
breach rates for Koori women.

That the Victorian Auditor-General's Office
undertake an audit of Koori women's programs
in Tarrengower and Dame Phyllis Frost Centre,
including post release support to complement the
planned audit of Transition Support for Prisoners in
201415.