The
Insider Newsletter
The Insider is a newsletter written and produced by the women
in prison. The women in prison produce these newsletters bimonthly.
Workshops to develop skills on the computer program have been
developed and implemented. The newsletter allows for communication
between each of the 4 women's prisons in Southeast Queensland
and information is distributed about dates of parole sittings
etc. Every woman in prison receives a copy and over 300 women
are in the prison at any time. Feedback is very positive and the
women look forward to each newsletter.
Special
Circumstances Court Program
This program helps homeless adults charged with minor offences
to avoid, where possible, the criminal justice system. It allows
them to be assessed and referred to appropriate services instead
of being fined or imprisoned.
Homeless
people referred to the program are given the opportunity to resolve
the issues that may be related to their offending, such as accommodation,
health, and drugs and alcohol dependence. The program is an initiative
of the Brisbane Magistrates Court and is funded by the Department
of Justice and Attorney-General. It is part of the Queensland
Government’s integrated response to homelessness. Information
Brochure or Email
the Program
PAST
PROGRAMS
Indigenous
Arts/Circus Project
The project is
to develop 3 resources using focus creative arts based workshops
for Indigenous women who have been incarcerated and their
children using action research processes for:
- Indigenous
women who have been in prison
- Indigenous
children’s workbooks
- Community
education resources for government and non-government
workers.
- These new
resources will be available nationally and will demonstrate
new approaches of how to work with Indigenous women who
have been in prison and their children who are and have
been affected by domestic and family violence.
Australia
Women in Prison Network - AWIPN
This project aims to promote the interests of women in the criminal
justice system throughout Australia and to enable the participation
of and the collective self advocacy by women in the criminal
justice system, in the network and the wider community. AWIPN
will lobby to achieve long term social change in the interest
of women in the criminal justice system, support and encourage
the development of new means of meeting the rights and needs
of these women.
Outputs
-National Membership Database
-Website – Publications, Information and useful links
-Bimonthly Teleconference
-Annual Roundtable
-Development of National Resource for Working with Women in
Prison
A
Place to Call Home
The purpose of this project is to provide a preventative and
interventionist service to assist women in prison or women newly
released from prison to access accommodation and support services
in Townsville and Brisbane.
Transition
Program
This program provides Transitional support to women exiting
prison in obtaining identification, accommodation, and transport
upon release. The program aims to reduce the deaths, recidivism
and provides support for the women; their children and families
through this transition period.
Statewide
Incorrections Network
The aim
of SIN (Statewide Incorrections Network) is to:
Maintain
state wide network or organisations and individuals working
with prisoners and their families pre and post release.
- To make this network
a self-sufficient, sustainable resource for the target group;
- To expand and
develop existing links between statewide/regional services
and ATSI/non-ATSI services;
- To resource members
of the network;
- To improve services
to the client group; and
- To expand the
target groups cultural awareness.
Women's
Transition Program
This program works with women about to be released back into the
community and supports the women, their children and families
through this process. This transition period is high need for
women. In the last 12-month period 9 women have died just after
their release back into the community from either drug overdoses,
suicide or from a domestic violence situation. This pilot project
aims to reduce the deaths, recidivism and provides support for
the women; their children and families through this transition
period. Family and Community Services (Federal) and Department
of Corrective Services fund this program.
Women
in Prison Journal
This journal is a bi - annual publication that allows academics,
government, women in prison, service providers and interested
others to publish articles about current trends and research in
relation to women in prison and young women in detention. The
journal is distributed state, nationally and internationally.
WILL
Program (Women
Inside Living & Learning)
This is a recently funded program that aims to reduce the transmission
of HCV to women incarcerated in Southeast Queensland prisons and
to provide harm minimisation strategies to those women who may
have already contracted HCV. Sisters Inside has researched drug
use in Southeast Queensland prisons and statistics prove that
over half the population have injected drugs whilst in prison.
Syringes are being used between 5 - 7 women and cleaned with hot
water in most cases. Transmission of HCV is increasing in the
women's prisons and this constitutes a public health risk.
Youth
Crime Prevention Program
This is a recently funded program enabled a group of young people
whose mothers are in prison to participate in the development
a resource kit to assist them and other young people in the future
about issues which are raised for them while their mums in jail
and referral and information about organisations that can support
young people while their mums in jail. These young people were
involved in activities which enhanced their self esteem and confidence
such as, participating in canoeing, ropes courses, art workshops
and attend white water rafting camps and indigenous camps. Due
to this program recently being developed it has come to our attention
that 2 young people have suicided within three weeks of their
mothers release from prison. Many are homeless, self-harming,
excluded or suspended from school, drug and alcohol abusers, living
in violent environments. Order Now.
Crying Walls
Drug & Alcohol Prevention Project for Incarcerated Women in
Southeast Queensland. This project has been recently funded by
the Commonwealth of Australian National Illicit Drug Strategy
Community Partnerships Initiative funds. The project will incorporate
education young women in prison about the effects of drug and
alcohol use with particular focus on harm minimisation; the social,
physical and mental effects of drug and alcohol use (particularly
intravenous drug use), and exploration of alternatives to drug
and alcohol use.
