**International Prisoners’ Justice Day 2013** @ The Centre for Aboriginal Studies, Curtin University, Bentley, WA **Friday 9th August 2013 / 10.00am to 11.00am** Theme: "Being fair, being just to all." This year in WA, the team is exploring ways in which our practices help prisoners to experience fairness and justice whilst being held captive and upon release. This helps with future compliance and acknowledgment of the law together with personal and social responsibility of harm done to others. The team suggests that two major themes are presented. 1) Unannounced inspections of all custodial setting should be undertaken on a regular basis so as compliance to State and International standards are maintained. Prisons Superintendents and Directors who sign up for such un-announced inspections should be rewarded with innovation and safety rewards that will assist their regimes to continue to be open and accountable at all times. And; 2) That the journey from Convict to Citizen be encouraged and valued. That means that the criminal justice system that is funded to rehabilitate, reform, reconcile and restore prisoners into citizens actually engages in employing some of the ex-prisoners once their sentence is complete. Failure to do so should be seen as a failure to practice its own philosophy. In general terms, people who complete their full sentence (without further charges) should be allowed to live as full citizens. This position challenges the current position that leaves an indelible mark on the body and soul, reduces ex-prisoners opportunities for employment, and leaves well skilled and educated people out of the very system that should work towards their rehabilitation. The same applies to academia and other government services. Many well-funded justice agencies have failed to complete their task of rehabilitation. This in turn raises the question as to why departments and services who are well funded to rehabilitate offenders have no objection to witnessing the prison estate grow. Who better than a well qualified ex-drug user from becoming a drug counsellor, or a street fighter from working as a restorative justice facilitator or mediator? We could discuss the use of women incarcerated for fraud working among women struggling to make ends meet and assisting with budgets. This is nothing new, and does happen in some jurisdictions where they practice what they preach. We also suggest that; • Prisoners should be able to receive quality programs and skills that are both effective and usable outside of the prison. • They should be engaged in skills that enable them to seek long term employment, including within legal, social, and health professions. • They should be given every opportunity to ‘make things right’ with their family, friends and those victims who wish to engage with them, including victim support groups. • At all times they should be able to live in safe and secure custodial settings that are regularly inspected for compliance with local and international standards, including UN declarations and principles. • Every opportunity should be given to restorative rather than punitive practices throughout the penal estate. • Every effort should be made to assist prisoners to be released on time, well prepared for community living, and well versed in their responsibilities. This includes time set aside for them to be supported rather than checked for compliance upon release. • An emphasis needs to be placed on community corrections to manage risks associated with prisoner release. • Generic services should be involved in re-settlement and assistance along with NGOs adequately funded to support and encourage community living. • NGOs should be required to establish a release charter that is the foundation of any agreement with other stakeholders. • The Prisoner Release Board should have regular input from criminologists and social workers not attached to the government departments. • Prisoners should be given as much responsibility for their cell block or areas safety and security as possible, and be trained in first aid, leadership, restorative practices and communication skills. Good behaviour should be regularly rewarded. RSVP to brian.steels@me or Jason Thorburn [email protected]
Posted on: Mon, 05 Aug 2013 02:15:46 +0000
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