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BEYOND THE REVOLVING DOOR. Father Peter Norden, A.O. Melbourne Law School University of Melbourne. WHAT REVOLVING DOOR?. “Hey I’m getting out next week!” “Terrific, good luck!” Next week: “I thought you were getting out…” “I did get out, but I am back again”
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BEYOND THE REVOLVING DOOR Father Peter Norden, A.O. Melbourne Law School University of Melbourne
WHAT REVOLVING DOOR? • “Hey I’m getting out next week!” • “Terrific, good luck!” • Next week: • “I thought you were getting out…” • “I did get out, but I am back again” • Melb. Juvenile Justice Centre: 1970
Australian Housing & Urban Research Institute Research Report • Ex-prisoners and accommodation, ANZJ Of Criminology, April 2006. • 45,000+ released from prison each year • High levels of disadvantage: including poor education, unemployment, mental and intellectual disabilities, low income, substance misuse issues. • Majority return: “prison treadmill”.
THE PRISON TREADMILL • Socially & financially very expensive. • Challenge: how to increase chances • International research: suitable housing • AHURI findings: • Multiple changes of housing: critical • Poor/absent accommodation support • Increased use of alcohol/substances
Staying out of prison (AHURI) • Not moving at all between 3 months • Living with parents, partner or family • Having employment or being a student • Having positive support available • Cf. Fr John Brosnan’s statement: • 3 things I noticed over 30 years…..
Tony Vinson’s Research: Dropping Off the Edge, 2007 • Mapped social disadvantage by postcode throughout Australia • Used 26 disadvantage factors • Ranked communities by disadvantage • Measured impact of social cohesion • Showed correlations between each of the 26 disadvantage factors with crime and with imprisonment
Correlates with criminal convictions: • (1.0 is perfect correlation, 0.0 neutral) • 0.544 Year 12 incomplete • 0.535 Low Qualifications • 0.601 Low Job Skills • 0.534 Low Income • 0.633 Disability pensioners
Correlations with imprisonment: • 0.466 Low job skills • 0.444 Low pre-school attendance • 0.411 Unemployment • 0.379 Year 12 incomplete • 0.506 Low taxable income • 0.527 Child mistreatment • 0.661 Public rental housing
So, BEYOND the revolving door • Prevention and early intervention • Starting with pre-school attendance • Ending with: • Diversion away from Dept of Justice • Recent Dept of Justice workshop: • How deal with the impact of the GFC?
DECREASING THE RISKS…. • Prison drug offenders penalties: • Isolation and removal of contact visits • Yet contact with family and significant others remains the key factor in preventing reoffending upon release!
DECREASING THE RISKS….. • Hepatitis C infection rate inside prison: • Ranges from 40% - 65 % of prison pop. • Yet limited availability, if any, of needle exchange, anti-virals and condoms to combat different blood borne viruses • MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH RISK!
DECREASING THE RISK….. • Australian Prisons becoming the “new asylums” of the 21st century: • Vic study, mental disorder: 13 per cent had been admitted to psych unit or ward • 25% doctor told they had mental illness • Prison populations are at the very high risk end of the health spectrum.
Prevention & Early Intervention • Diversion away from criminal justice system from first point of contact • Health, Education, Welfare, Jobs Training must assume responsibility • Prisons must match level of health services available in wider community • Minimise the role of criminal justice system in control of illicit substances
BEYOND THE REVOLVING DOOR • Early identification of at risk groups: • Most disadvantaged communities, new ethnic groups, young people at risk. • Interventions must be multi-dimensional, long term, and reflect cross departmental and cross governmental collaboration • Minimise the risk of the criminal justice system’s intervention itself!