Rehabilitative needs and treatment of Indigenous offenders in ...

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If [offenders] are from a family that has been through the [prison] system,the whole process [of going to prison] is seen as the ‘norm’.For some, it’s not a big deal to re-offend, because their family is often injail.Jail can be a safe haven.The last comment provided above describes how some ISDR participantsbelieved that imprisonment can represent a pseudo support system forIndigenous people who would otherwise exist in highly dysfunctionalsituations. These views are consistent with research findings discussed inchapter three (Ogilvie & Zyl 2001).Despite acknowledging the disadvantage that can characterise Indigenouscommunities, ISDR participants recognised the crucial role Indigenous Eldersand workers play in offender reintegration. Their involvement is seen tohighlight the strength of Indigenous communities.Geographical Differences in Social and Economic DisadvantageISDR participants recognised that the issues faced by offenders from ruraland remote communities can be different from those faced by urban-basedoffenders. The social and economic disadvantage experienced by Indigenousoffenders from rural and remote communities is generally viewed to be morepronounced than that experienced by Indigenous offenders from urbancommunities.Service providers frequently identified the lack of services and transport(public and private) in rural and remote communities. A lack of services isapparent in the following:There’s no Aboriginal offender services here, the nearest availableservices are in Toowoomba or Brisbane [over 200km away].Offenders with family and social networks in rural and remote communitiesface difficulty returning home upon their release. QCS staff and Indigenousservice providers reported that offenders without the means to return homeoften become homeless in the town or city in which they are released. Thislack of transport also limits how often family and friends can visit offendersduring their period of imprisonment.65
SummaryMany of the views expressed by ISDR participants are consistent withprevious research and findings presented in this report.It is clear that ISDR participants perceived that low literacy and numeracypose a significant impediment to Indigenous offender involvement in QCSrehabilitative interventions (such as criminogenic programs and VET) andaccess to health services in the community. Participants believed that thedelivery of culturally-sensitive interventions by culturally-competent facilitatorswould increase both the number of Indigenous persons accessingrehabilitative interventions (including literacy and numeracy courses) and theeffectiveness of these interventions. Importantly, Indigenous offendersexpressed an interest in (re-)connecting with Indigenous culture, history andheritage.It was suggested that the delivery of culturally-relevant rehabilitationinterventions could be promoted by increasing the number of Indigenousfacilitators and improving the cultural-awareness of non-Indigenous offenders.Despite positive comments regarding the Indigenous-specific EndingOffending and Ending Violent Offending programs, participants believed thatIndigenous offenders need access to more intensive Indigenous-specificprograms. It was also believed that Indigenous community members, such asIndigenous Elders, play a vital role in developing transitional links forIndigenous offenders leaving custody. It is worth noting that some Indigenousoffenders reported that they felt shame and embarrassment when talkingabout themselves in a group session. Other Indigenous offenders suggestedthat one of the benefits in participating in Indigenous-specific programs is theability to discuss personal issues with offenders with a similar background.The impact of colonialism and social/economic disadvantage on Indigenousoffending was also discussed. The displacement and breakdown of familialand community networks was viewed by ISDR participants to have significantbearing on the personal identity of Indigenous offenders and the possibility ofcommunity-based support. The high prevalence of social and economicdisadvantage within the Indigenous population was perceived to contribute tothe normalisation of imprisonment and high health needs. The inability ofcommunity-based health service providers to meet the significant healthneeds of Indigenous communities was also highlighted. These findings drawattention to the importance of strengthening Indigenous communities tofacilitate their ability to support pro-social choices among Indigenousoffenders after their release from custody.The research findings discussed in this chapter demonstrate that Indigenousrehabilitation requires a multi-tiered approach. This includes strengtheningIndigenous interventions within QCS, improving links with Indigenouscommunities and ensuring the cultural-competency of non-Indigenous QCSofficers. The need for a community-based multi-government agency approachto Indigenous offender rehabilitation is also evident.66
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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
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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 70 and 71: When offenders go back home, the fa
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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