Correctional Education

Institute Correctional Centre Liaison Officers for NSWHere is the list of Institute Correctional Centre Liaison Officers(ICCLO) for NSW as at September 2005.

PEET at Walgett
Have just completed a successful Pathways to Employment, Education and Training Program (3493) at Walgett. Am looking forward to contributing to this site and networking with others involved in the same delivery.

Incarceration rates for Indigenous Women a National Shame
Extract from Dr Jonas' launch of the annual social justice report that there was a crisis in the level and type of contact of Indigenous women with correctional systems in Australia including:
- Indigenous women are currently incarcerated at a rate higher than any other group in Australia - including that of Indigenous men;
- Over-representation of Indigenous women occurs in the context of intolerably high levels of family violence, over-policing for selected offences, ill-health, unemployment and poverty;
- Studies of Indigenous women in prison reveal life in a society fraught with danger from violence;
- Removal of Indigenous women from the community has significant consequences and potentially exposes children to risk of neglect, abuse, hunger and homelessness;
- Indigenous women also serve comparatively shorter sentences, suggesting a general failure to employ the principle of imprisonment as a last resort; and
- Once imprisoned, recidivism statistics show that Indigenous women are at greater risk of returning to jail.

In the press release he called for release programs to address:
- Transitional housing after release;
- Community based, Indigenous specific programs to help women deal with the effects of violence and to develop alternative strategies for coping with future violence;
- Support for women to maintain contact with their children while they are incarcerated or regular information about the well being of their children;
- Programs which are sensitive to the kinship obligations of Indigenous women and supportive of these roles;
- Financial issues, employment, education and training; and
- Access to health services, including drug abuse rehabilitation.