annual report 08-09 - Public Interest Advocacy Centre

Women’s Advisory Council to the Department of Corrective
Services (DCS)
PIAC’s Chief Executive Officer, Robin Banks, was appointed to the
re-established Women’s Advisory Council to the Department of
Corrective Services (DCS). This enables liaison with key staff within
the Department as well as with other relevant organisations
working on women and prisons issues.
Privatisation of Prisons
PIAC made a submission in March 2009 to the NSW Legislative
Council General Purpose Standing Committee No 3 Inquiry into
the Privatisation of Prisons and Prisons Related Services.
PIAC Chief Executive Officer, Robin Banks, and Solicitor, Peter
Dodd, also gave oral evidence before the Inquiry on 27 March
2009 at Parliament House. PIAC raised significant concerns about
the potential detrimental impact of privatisation of some NSW
prisons, on rehabilitation services, post-release services and on
programs for disadvantaged groups. PIAC pointed to the potential
for privatisation to undermine accountability and increase the
opportunity for corruption.
CHILDREN IN DETENTION ADVOCACY PROJECT
(CID N AP)
The Children in Detention Advocacy Project (CID n AP) is a partnership
between PIAC, PILCH and Legal Aid NSW. It aims to challenge the
unlawful and unnecessary detention of young people.
The project provides legal representation on a pro bono or legal
aid grant basis to minors who may have a cause of action arising
from a false arrest, unlawful detention, malicious prosecution
and/or the use of excessive force by police, transit authorities and
private security companies. The project also works with relevant
organisations to identify and rectify the causes of these detentions.
Work continued to finalise cases already commenced and
increased emphasis was placed on policy and advocacy work to
find appropriate solutions to systemic problems.
CID N AP cases
In early 2008, PIAC brought proceedings on behalf of a young
person in the District Court for false imprisonment. The young
person was arrested and detained on the basis of a warrant that
was subsequently found to have been withdrawn. He spent three
weeks in custody without any lawful basis. The matter was settled
on a confidential basis.
PIAC also provided legal advice to an young Aboriginal person
who was detained overnight because police believed he was in
breach of bail conditions that in fact had been dispensed with.
Systemic Issues
This project also joined with key stakeholders to progress policy
issues that are identified through the project but not necessarily
the key responsibility of PIAC.
For example, a joint project involving PIAC, Council of Social
Services of NSW (NCOSS) and UnitingCare Burnside undertook to
develop models for out-of-home care services for young people
granted bail with a ‘reside as directed’ condition. The project
drafted a position paper promoting a model of care to prevent
young people granted bail from being detained because suitable
accommodation cannot be found.
PIAC increased stakeholder involvement in CID n AP through its
membership of the Youth Justice Coalition (YJC). The YJC included
detention and accommodation issues as a priority in its 2008-09
work plan. As a result, PIAC took a leading role in a study, initiated
by the YJC, of bail outcomes for young people appearing in the
Children’s Court.
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PUBLIC INTEREST ADVOCACY CENTRE • ANNUAL REPORT 2008-2009