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Department of Premier & Cabinet Presentation to Policy Advisers Key Policy Issues facing Victoria. SOCIAL DISADVANTAGE. CRIMINAL JUSTICE. SD/CJ Relationship. Their Inter-relationship and Impact on Public Health and Well-being.
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Department of Premier & CabinetPresentation to Policy AdvisersKey Policy Issues facing Victoria
SOCIAL DISADVANTAGE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SD/CJ Relationship Their Inter-relationship and Impact on Public Health and Well-being
Measures social disadvantage by postcode area in Vic and New South Wales • Poverty concentrated and entrenched in certain areas • Strong correlations between disadvantage factors • Positive impact of social cohesion CAR report Social Disadvantage
CAR Disadvantage Factors Social Disadvantage Factors • Unemployment • Child Neglect • Long Term Unemployment • Psychiatric Hosp. Admissions • Low Family Income • Disability/Sickness Allowance • Early School Leaving • Mortality • Year 12 Incomplete • Court Convictions • Low Work Skills • Imprisonment • Low Birth Weight Source: Vinson, T., Community, Adversity & Resilience, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne, 2004, p. 46
Disadvantage Degree of Disadvantage Middle range Degree of Advantage Advantage All others CAR Map Vic Social Comparison – Vic Unequal in Life Source: Vinson, T., Community, Adversity & Resilience, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne, 2004, [Map 4]
Disadvantage Degree of Disadvantage Middle range Degree of Advantage Advantage All others CAR Map Melb Social Comparison – Melbourne Unequal in Life Source: Vinson, T., Community, Adversity & Resilience, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne, 2004, [Map 5]
CAR Spac Comp Vic 1 Percentage of Victorian Postcode areas needed to account for 25% and 50% of instances of each form of disadvantage N = 647 Source: Vinson, T., Community, Adversity & Resilience, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne, 2004, p. 48
CAR Spac Comp Vic 2 N = 647 Source: Vinson, T., Community, Adversity & Resilience, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne, 2004, p. 48
Participation in organised recreation/sports groups • Volunteering • Availability of informal help CAR Social Cohesion Factors Social Cohesion Factors Source: Vinson, T., Community, Adversity & Resilience, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne, 2004, p. 46
Across local populationsLOW FAMILY INCOME and IMPRISONMENT are strongly connected (0.55**) Low social cohesion Connectiongrowsstronger (0.62) with Connectionsignificantlyweakens (0.18) High social cohesion with N = 277 CAR Low Inc/Imp SC comp Community Development Interventions Drives a Wedge in the Cycle of Disadvantage **Significant at .01 level Source: Vinson, T., Community, Adversity & Resilience, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne, 2004, p. 79
Low social cohesion with High social cohesion with CAR Unemp/Imp SC comp Impact of Community Development Interventions (contd) Across local populationsUNEMPLOYMENT and IMPRISONMENT are strongly connected (0.65**) Connectiongrowsstronger (0.75) Connectionsignificantlyweakens (0.22) N = 277 **Significant at .01 level Source: Vinson, T., Community, Adversity & Resilience, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne, 2004, p. 79
Low social cohesion with High social cohesion with CAR Early Sch/Unemp SC comp Impact of Community Development Interventions (contd) Across local populationsEARLY SCHOOL LEAVING and UNEMPLOYMENT are strongly connected (0.64**) Connectionremainsstrong (0.63) Connectionsignificantlyweakens (0.28) N = 277 **Significant at .01 level Source: Vinson, T., Community, Adversity & Resilience, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne, 2004, p. 79
Across local populationsUNEMPLOYMENT and CHILD NEGLECT are strongly connected (0.68**) Low social cohesion Connectionremainshigh (0.56) with Connectiondrops (0.40) High social cohesion with CAR Unemp/Child Neglect SC comp Impact of Community Development Interventions (contd) N = 277 **Significant at .01 level Source: Vinson, T., Community, Adversity & Resilience, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne, 2004, p. 79
Imbalance between crime and prison rates • Custodial remand • Health of prisoners • Impact on general public Criminal Justice Main Points Criminal Justice
Chart, crime/prison rates Source: Crime Statistics. Australian Institute of Criminology. Australian crime. Facts and figures 2004 Crime Rate Australia 1996-2003 per 100,000 population Crime rate downbutPrison rate up Prisoners Australia 1994 - 2004 Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2004), Prisoners in Australia, ABS, Cat No 4517.0, Table 16, p. 31.
Chart, increase in Remand Pop - Vic Increase in Remand Population - Vic Source: ABS, Community, Prisoners in Australia : 4517.0, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra, 2004, pp. 56-7
Remand Factors Factors contributing to increase in unsentenced prison population • Crime:- common offences committed by remand population • Institutional Factors:- increased time on remand • Other:- Lack of stable accommodation and income
Impact of Remand Impact of Custodial Remand • Likelihood of assault • Increased likelihood of guilty plea, or longer sentence • Disruption from social support networks and commitments to family • Deprivation of civil liberties due to remand in maximum security prisons • Increased risk to health and general wellbeing
$214 million spent on Victorian prisons (2003-4) • Average cost per prisoner per day = $204.10 Financial Cost of Remand Financial Costs of Custodial Remand Source: Productivity Commission, Report on Government Services 2003-2005 : Corrective Services 2003-2005
26% of prisoners met criteriafor mental illness • 20% met criteria for Major Depression • 8% met criteria for Manic Depression (Bipolar) • 7% met criteria for Schizophrenia • 30% of prisoners surveyed had attempted suicide High Rates of Mental Illness High Rates of Prisoners with Mental Illness Source: Victorian Prisoner Health Studies, DOJ, Feb 2003, p.30 & 36.
58% of prisoners tested positive for Hep C Virus • 69% of prisoners admit to injecting drugs • 18.5% increase in prisoners found to be HCV carriers High Rates of Hec C High Rates of Prisoners with Hepatitis C Source: Victorian Prisoner Health Studies, DOJ, Feb 2003, p. 90
Increased risk of Hepatitis C Infection- over 220,000 Australians already infected- 16,000 new infections each year • Increased expenditure on prison construction and operation • Decreased expenditure on health and education and early intervention programs Impact on Public Impact on General Public