Rehabilitative needs and treatment of Indigenous offenders in ...

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When offenders go back home, the families celebrate them coming homeand the drinking starts all over again.It was reported that the excessive consumption of alcohol increases anIndigenous offender’s likelihood of being involved in assaults, public disordersand breaching orders. A non-government organisation worker believed:Alcohol and illicit drug consumption impacts on relationships withinthe family and results in violence.Indigenous ISDR participants also cited substance misuse as one of the mainreasons for re-offending.Health professionals, Indigenous Elders and non-government organisationworkers referred to the lack of substance misuse treatment programs in thecommunity – especially in regional and rural areas. The waiting lists for drugrehabilitation programs in areas of high service concentration (such asBrisbane) were also viewed to be too long for offenders with high needs.It is worth noting that a few ISDR participants reported that involvement in aQCS substance abuse program provided benefits to some programparticipants. This included cessation of substance misuse and access totreatment otherwise not available in the community.Offender Education, Vocation and Employment ProgramsThe low level of education attained by Indigenous offenders was frequentlyreported as a barrier to offenders participating in QCS programs as well ascontributing to poor offender rehabilitation and reintegration.Custodial staff across various centres, Indigenous Elders and serviceproviders reported that Indigenous offenders who declined to participate inVET programs felt shame and embarrassment about their levels of literacyand numeracy. A Custodial Officer explained:[Indigenous] offenders won’t attend because of the shame and whitefaces trying to teach them.Some custodial staff and service providers suggested that the implementationof compulsory literacy and numeracy programs could reduce the shame thatmay be experienced by Indigenous offenders due their low literacy andnumeracy skills. Access to an education television channel in prison cells wasalso advocated.Indigenous Elders and workers from the health, legal and welfare sectorsreported that low skills among Indigenous offenders reduce their likelihood offinding employment after their release from custody. ISDR participants alsoacknowledged that post-release employment for Indigenous offenders ishindered by a lack of employment opportunities in rural and remote areas of63
Queensland and the social stigma associated with having a criminal record.An Aboriginal Community Justice Group member commented:[Offender] criminal history is a major factor…as employees seethem as unreliable and a risk of further offending.All participants identified the need for developing better links between QCS,VET and the employment sector across the state to increase the employmentopportunities for Indigenous offenders and assist with offender rehabilitation.It was also noted that VET courses should be relevant to the local economiesto which Indigenous offenders were expected to return.Partnering with Indigenous EldersThe importance of creating and maintaining links with Indigenous Elders toassist with the reintegration of Indigenous offenders was commonly raised byISDR participants.It was previously noted that ISDR participants believed that Indigenouscommunity members may be able to assist with the culturally-appropriatedelivery of QCS programs. Correctional Officers also described howIndigenous Elders are facilitating post-release employment for someIndigenous offenders by liaising with local employers and assisting with theinduction process for Indigenous offenders. This is evident in the following:Having contacts with the [Aboriginal] Justice Groups and Elders arevery important as they can assist in the management of theoffender, and they can sit in on the initial interviews and be part ofthe assessment process.Although working with Indigenous Elders is not consistently practiced acrossthe state, there is some evidence to suggest that adequately supportedIndigenous Elders can provide a valuable bridge between custody and thecommunity for Indigenous offenders.The Effect of Social and Economic Disadvantage on Rehabilitation andRecidivismThe social and economic disadvantage that can characterise the Indigenouspopulation was discussed in Chapter one of this report. This disadvantagewas a common theme in ISDR participant discussions which is seen to affectthe ability of Indigenous family groups and communities to provide materialand social support to Indigenous offenders after their release from custody.The lack of post-release support was viewed as a major obstacle in theeffective reintegration and rehabilitation of Indigenous offenders which in turnaffects offender recidivism. It was also noted that the social and economicdisadvantage experienced by many Indigenous persons contributes to thenormalisation of imprisonment. The view that imprisonment can be normalisedor considered a ‘rite-of-passage’ is evident in the following comments madeby ISDR participants:64
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Rehabilitative needs and treatment
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ContentsGlossary of terms..........
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Report SummaryThis report presents
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How do program completion rates of
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Develop and implement an Indigenous
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Chapter 1IntroductionMuch has been
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Chapter 2MethodsThis chapter outlin
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Chapter 3Literature Review of Indig
Page 20 and 21: The Delivery of Programs and Best-P
Page 22 and 23: A greater understanding of Indigeno
Page 24 and 25: training and support in rehabilitat
Page 26 and 27: SummaryThis chapter has highlighted
Page 28 and 29: Chapter 4Indigenous Offender Profil
Page 30 and 31: Figure 4.2: Proportion of Total Mal
Page 32 and 33: Further analysis shows that both ma
Page 34 and 35: Indigenous offenders are more likel
Page 36 and 37: Chapter 5QCS Offender Rehabilitatio
Page 38 and 39: anxiety and intellectual capacity.
Page 40 and 41: Staying on Track: Maintenance 18-26
Page 42 and 43: ViolenceThe Cognitive Self Change p
Page 44 and 45: Table 5.2: Summary of QCS Offender
Page 46 and 47: The key aim of the program is the c
Page 48 and 49: These include offender and interfam
Page 50 and 51: Chapter 6Indigenous Offender Partic
Page 52 and 53: specific programs. In 2006-07, comp
Page 54 and 55: Table 6.4 shows that 32 female Indi
Page 56 and 57: Table 6.6: Substance Misuse Program
Page 58 and 59: Vocational Education and Training (
Page 60 and 61: The number of male non-Indigenous o
Page 62 and 63: Chapter 7Perspectives on Indigenous
Page 64 and 65: [The] men’s programs help me in c
Page 66 and 67: elated to culture…and someone fro
Page 68 and 69: This co-facilitation would also pro
Page 72 and 73: If [offenders] are from a family th
Page 74 and 75: Chapter 8Conclusion
Page 76 and 77: Continue to monitor research that f
Page 78 and 79: Reference ListAboriginal and Torres
Page 80 and 81: People Conference, Adelaide, 13-15
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