current system. The sporadic delivery of culturally
appropriate services to Koori women in prison
impacts upon their right to practise their culture.
Service providers have an obligation to protect
and promote this right under the Charter and at
international law.
Victorian prisons were mothers.
Koori women in prison is the grief and trauma
associated with being away from their children.
Many key informants observed the profound
effects forced separation had on Koori women.
care prior to going into prison. Many don't
have the children in prison with them.
This is a real stressor for the women.
children. Whenever we go into prisons,
women want to talk about child
protection matters. Most have had
contact with child protection or child
protection are involved.
affects Koori women and their children, as their
caring and kinship obligations are unfulfilled which
exacerbates their feelings of loss and shame.
is significant. Even brief periods in
custody were enough to remove any
final connection that they have with
their family and their social supports.
that prison and other forms of institutionalisation
harmed the ability of Koori women to develop and
maintain parenting skills. As a consequence, Koori
women found it difficult to reconnect with their
children after release from prison.
been institutionalised have not learnt
appropriate parenting skills...there
needs to be culturally appropriate
parenting supports.
Of those entering prison in 2012. Koori Justice Unit,
above n 8.
Key informant interview, Victorian Aboriginal Legal
Service, 15 November 2012.
Key informant interview, Aboriginal Family Violence
Prevention Legal Service, 13 December 2012.
Key informant interview, Dr Harry Blagg, 23 November
2012.
Key informant interview, Judge Paul Grant, President,
Children's Court of Victoria, 14 January 2013.
a mum, DHS never helped me.
to reconnect with their children. Whilst
in prison their mothering skills have
been taken away from them or they
have not learnt these skills as they were
in out-of-home care as children. Whilst
in prison the children's needs have
also changed. Women need support to
develop these parenting skills. Family
support programs are crucial.
children drove them to reoffend and return to prison.
their] old lifestyle...because of
not being reunified with children.
Addressing this issue post and pre-
release is crucial.
jail for three and a half years. She had
stable housing and her children in her
care. Her father died, a number of
other problems occurred and her life
started to go off the rails. She contacted
Child First for support. She wanted
counselling for her daughter due to the
loss in her family. In the end, they weren't
helpful as they removed her children
which made everything worse.
and Torres Strait Islander children have a parent
or carer in prison.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners to
have had a parent in prison as a child.
imprisoning Koori mothers harms Koori children.
Focus group participant, 17 January 2013.
Michael Levy, Children of Prisoners: an issue for courts
to consider in sentencing (Presentation to Federal
Criminal Justice Forum, Canberra, 29 September 2008).