Catholic Prison Ministry

1. Catholic Prison Ministry United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Treatment of Prisoners 1955, Rule 82(1)…”persons who are found to be insane shall not be detained in prisons and arrangements shall be made to remove them to mental institutions as soon as possible” Greenberg et all (2003)

2. Catholic Prison Ministry evolved in 1985 to respond to the inhumane and unjust treatment of men and women in prison. It began from a reform movement which emerged to combat these injustices from St Mary’s Church in South Brisbane.

3. CPM’s Mission • To respond to the issues faced by people affected by the criminal justice system: in court, in prison, in community corrections, in families and in the wider community, and; • To do this by encouraging personal and social change which promotes and maintains human dignity and peace in the community

4. CPM promotes a restorative justice system. • prison must be an option of absolute last resort, used only when a person poses a threat to the safety and peace of the community. • the aim of the criminal justice system must be to bring about reconciliation and restoration, rather than incrimination and retribution. • justice must be regarded as a community responsibility. Crime is not an individual problem. Social inequalities and injustices influence and give rise to crime. • justice must be founded on the restoration of peace and right relationships in the community, not on the judgment and punishment of others. • we believe people will usually make the choice to live a lawful lifestyle when they are supported in an environment affirming their self worth and providing for their basic needs.

5. CPM Services Are: • ‘Getting out Support Program’ – providing pre and post release support to men at Borallon, Wolston and the former SDL prisons. Prisoners from other facilities including farms and work release are also welcome to contact our service via mail or phone. Once released any former prisoner may access our services. CPM works with over 500 prisoners a year through this program. CPM is the only service to go into male prisons for pre and post release support.

6. CPM Pre and Post Release Service Support provided includes: Organising accommodation for their release and providing on-going assistance to maintain accommodation; Assisting prisoners to apply for and get identification before their release, when necessary; Assisting, where appropriate, the delivery of transitions programs operated by the correctional centres preparing men for their release; Providing on-going support and counselling once released; Linking to appropriate community mental health services, disability services, indigenous services or other support services as necessary. This includes shared case management. Linking into employment services (up-coming co-location with Centacare Employment PSP worker)

7. Other CPM Services • Family Support Program - supports family members and significant others who have a loved one affected by the criminal justice system; • Court Support Program – this program provides support at 7 court across South-East Qld supporting families, defendants and victims through the court process; • Liferaft – support group for family members or significant others affected by the prison system; • Advocacy – CPM advocates for prisoner and their families for systemic and individual issues affecting them in the prison system.

8. Diversity of Clients • Mental health and disability issues Acquired brain injury Intellectual disability Profound deafness Spinal Injury Paraplegia Dementia Schizophrenia Bi-polar Blindness And the list goes on Complicated by existing diseases and other issues such as AIDS Hep C Drug and alcohol issues Sexual abuse Social isolation and more

9. View of ‘Offenders’ • Outside the system – individual seen firstly with disability or mental health issue then as a person • Within the system – seen first as an offender, then Steve Smith, then with a conditional/illness troublesome to their ‘management’

10. Diversionary Recommendations • Recent Special Circumstances Court – works with people who have been charged with minor offences who have impaired capacity. A welcome addition requires additional resourcing of community sector; • (Intellectual) Disability Diversionary Court – such as been established in WA; • In NSW, magistrates have a discretion to dismiss a charge against a person with a developmental disability or psychiatric disorder, they must also stipulate that this is on the priviso that the individual cooperates with assessment and treatment; • Mainstream sentencing alternatives currently not options used by courts due to under-resourced community corrections and appropriate community services necessary for the support of the individuals being diverted.

11. Diversionary Programs • Alternative and diversionary programs are often deemed not suitable for particular groups with potentially high needs. This is usually framed with regard to their inability to properly comply with the process. • Need for the program to be more flexible and offer people with cognitive disabilities or mental health issues with a greater level of support

12. Within Correctional Facilities • Current programs – accessible only with necessary literacy levels and comprehension. No alternatives offered. • Individual presenting in the prison system with a disability can ‘disguise’ their disability quite well. • Little or no records of past assessment for disability

13. Within Correctional Facilities Recommendations • Common place assessment for all inmates coming into the system so that mental health issues including dual diagnosis and intellectual disability are identified. To inform their support and programs offered to these individuals. This must include in some cases the availability of individual counseling. • Rehabilitation for all prisoners should be central focus of incarceration and therefore inmates (clients) need to be central to their rehabilitation and reintegration into the community. Key elements of therapeutic support in any other capacity. • Individuals with diagnosed psychiatric conditions and disability should be appropriately managed outside the prison system

14. Post Release Support • Individual specialised case management with flexible service delivery is essential to meet needs of this group, particularly around transitional support. • Family and social relationships are significantly tested by offending behaviour and subsequent imprisonment. This requires significant resources to assist in the re-establishment of these relationships, where possible. • Flexibility of disability funding including the re-negotiation of packages well before individuals are released from prison • Services difficult to access where there has been crimes of a violent nature in the past