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BEYOND THE REVOLVING DOOR

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

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  1. BEYOND THE REVOLVING DOOR Father Peter Norden, A.O. Melbourne Law School University of Melbourne

  2. 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

  3. 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”.

  4. 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

  5. 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…..

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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

  9. 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?

  10. 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!

  11. 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!

  12. 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.

  13. 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

  14. 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!

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