Prisons in Victoria

1
Prisons in Victoria
Rod Wise Director, Prison Services CORE - the
Public Correctional Enterprise
2
(No Transcript)
3
System Overview
Minister for Corrections Secretary, Department of
Justice Deputy Secretary, Justice Operations
Office of the Correctional Services
Commissioner Policy Standards Monitoring
Review Sentence Management Strategic
Operations Strategic Planning
Development Correctional Infrastructure Corporate
Resources
Justice Policy Contract Administration Commercia
l Financial Accountability
Corrections Victoria
Australasian Correctional Services Prison
Services Fulham Correctional Centre
CORE - the Public Correctional Enterprise Prison
Services Ararat Barwon Beechworth Bendigo Dame
Phyllis Frost Centre Dhurringile Langi Kal
Kal Loddon Melbourne Assessment
Prison Tarrengower Won Wron Community
Correctional Services 33 full time locations 21
satellite locations
Group 4 Correction Services Prison Services Port
Phillip Prison
4
Minister for Corrections Secretary, Department of
Justice Deputy Secretary, Justice Operations
Justice Policy Contract Administration Commercia
l Financial Accountability
Corrections Victoria
Policy Standards Monitoring Review Sentence
Management Strategic Operations Strategic
Planning Development Correctional
Infrastructure Corporate Resources
Prison Services Ararat Barwon Beechworth Bendigo D
ame Phyllis Frost Centre Dhurringile Langi Kal
Kal Loddon Melbourne Assessment
Prison Tarrengower Won Wron Fulham Port
Phillip Community Correctional Services 33
full time locations 21 satellite locations
As from 1 July 2003
5
Prisons in Victoria

• 13 Prisons
• 11 public / 2 private (ACM Group 4)
• 3,595 prisoners as at 17 March 2003
• Imprisonment rate in Victoria -
• 96 per 100,000
• 40 below national rate of 145

6
Prisoner Profile

• Overwhelmingly male (93)
• 84 sentenced, 16 unsentenced
• More than two-thirds previously imprisoned
• 19 under 25 years old
• 37 serving less than 12 months
• Low education achievement

7
Prisoner Profile

• About 60 unemployed when in the community
• More than 60 with drug or alcohol problems
• 76 born in Australia
• Significant health issues

8
Women in Prison

• Two womens prisons in Victoria
• 7 of total prison population
• Higher proportion on remand
• 85 are primary carers of children
• High incidence of dependence on prescribed
  medication
• High proportion with history of sexual assault
  or family violence

9
Community Correctional Services

• 54 locations managed by CORE
• 7,514 orders being supervised on 12 March 2003
• CCS Redevelopment funded 42.3 million
• New options being trialled
• - Drug Court / Drug Treatment Order
• Already having an impact
• Increasing number of offenders on orders
• Estimated saving of 200 300 prison beds so far
  

10
CCS Offender Profile

• 83 male
• 52 aged under 30 years
• 4 indigenous
• 90 completed secondary education or less at
  registration of order
• 50 unemployed at time of registration of order

11
Changing Prison Environment

• Changing profiles of staff
• Changing expectations of staff
• Contemporary management
• Unit Management
• Healthy Prisons

12
Healthy Prisons

• Four tests
• Every person in the prison feels safe
• Every person is treated with respect
• Prisoners are constructively occupied
• Prisoners are able to maintain family ties and
  prepare for release

13
Reception Assessment

• Major reception points MAP and DPFC
• - Medical assessment
• - Risk / Needs Assessment self harm, etc.
• - Psychiatric assessment where appropriate
• Specialist referrals where appropriate
• - eg Indigenous Services staff, Psychologist
• Phone contact, visit forms
• IMP file commenced

14
Sentence Management Plan

• Social history documentation prepared
• Prisoner assessed
• Placement determined by Sentence Management Unit
  
• Initial security rating and prison placement
  determined
• Broad sentence plan framework developed
• Prisoner moved to classified location.

15
Movements
Causes

• Police cell pressures
• Once sentenced, prisoners are usually moved to
  regional prison locations to participate in
  programs
• May return to Melbourne for further
• court matters
• medical appointments

16
Offender Management System

• Caseworkers to receive training in motivational
  interaction to assist in readiness to change
• Caseworkers to be supervised by Offender
  Management Supervisors
• Individual prisoners are assigned a case worker
  to develop and review local management plans

17
Prisoners Drugs
The Impact of Drugs in Prisons
18
Prisoners Drugs
The Impact of Drugs in Prisons

• No longer honour amongst thieves
• Less safe workplace
• Pressure on visitors
• Need for Intelligence collection
• Problems associated with drug debts
• Language

19
Prisoners Drugs
Why do prisoners use drugs in Prison?

• Congregation of huge numbers of drug users
  particularly in maximum security
• Boredom
• Dislocation from family, friends, supports
• Coping with fear, grief, guilt, incarceration

20
Prisoners Drugs
How do drugs get into prisons?

• Contact visits
• Thrown over the wall
• Staff
• Carried internally
• Deliveries

21
Prisoners Drugs

• Dimensions of the Drug Problem in Prison
• Acquisition of drugs
• Detection of drug use
• Methods of using drugs
• Risk of post-release overdose
• Contribution to reoffending

22
Prisoners Drugs
Why is drug use in prison different to drug use
in the community?

• Standovers
• Visitors pressured to break the law
• Protection issues
• Contribution to a lack of stability
• Preparedness to share needles

23
Prisoners Drugs
Prisoners reporting alcohol drug issues on
entry, 2000 (2,228 prisoners)
24
Drug Use in Prison
Positive Random Drug Testing Results 1999-2000

• 4.4 of all random tests were positive
• Cannabis most commonly detected drug

25
Drug Use in Prison
Positive Random Drug Testing Results 2001/2002
Amphetamines 2.9
Opiates 8.1
Cannabinoids 75.0
Benzodiapines 14.0

• 3.2 of all random tests were positive
• Cannabis most commonly detected drug

26
Drug Use in Prison

• About 32 of all current prisoners have been
  detected using drugs in prison
• 9 overdose deaths in the period 1995-2001 (32.1
  of unnatural deaths, 19.6 of all deaths)
• Over 57 of prisoners in a recent study were
  Hepatitis C positive (Macfarlane Burnet, 2002)

27
Post-Release Issues
Risk of Post Release Overdose

• Overdose
• Ex-prisoners account for at least 25 (405) of
  heroin-related deaths in Victoria from 1990-2000
  (Graham, 2000)
• Recidivism
• 62.8 of Victorian prisoners who were in custody
  on 30 June 1999 had previously been imprisoned
  (ABS, 2000).

• Ex-prisoners account for at least 25 (405) of
  heroin-related deaths in Victoria from 1990
  2000 (Graham)
• Ex-prisoners at greatest risk immediately
  following their release from prison
• Heroin Overdose Prevention Workshops being
  conducted by VIVAIDS (Victorian Drug User
  Organisation)
• Workshops seek to educate prisoners about the
  risk of post-release overdose and strategies to
  reduce this risk

28
Victorian Prison Drug Strategy 2002

• Incorporates principle of harm minimisation for
  the first time
• Aims to prevent drugs entering prisons,
  minimise drug-related harms to staff, prisoners
  and society
• Complementary balanced approach between control
  detection, treatment health perspectives

29
Victorian Prison Drug Strategy 2002

• Key Features
• Doubled number of PAD dogs to twelve
• Funded an increase in intensive drug treatment
  places from 300 to 450
• Boosted pre and post release help for offenders
  through implementation of Bridging the Gap
  initiative

30
Victorian Prison Drug Strategy 2002

• Key Features (cont)
• Introduction of a Drug-Free Testing Program
• Revised Identified Drug User Program
• Introduction of hierarchy of management measures
  for cannabis use
• Expansion of Opioid Substitution Therapy Program

31
2001 The Challenge

• 47 growth in prisoner numbers over 6 years
• - Shortage of prison capacity
• - High number of prisoners held in police cells
• Increasing recidivism rates
• Impact of drugs
• More complex prisoner characteristics
• Loss of confidence in Community Corrections

32
Corrections Long Term Management Strategy

• Unprecedented funding of 334.5 million
• - Rehabilitation and prison diversion
  initiatives
• - New prisons
• Redeveloped Community Corrections
• Imperatives
• - Additional permanent bed capacity
• - Diversion target

33
Corrections Long Term Management Strategy

• Reducing Reoffending Framework
• - Strengthened programs
• - Improved Transitional Support
• Targeted interventions
• Major staff training
• Redevelopment and expansion of CCS

34
Corrections Long Term Management Strategy

• Correctional Infrastructure Program
• 600 bed maximum security Remand Centre
• 300 bed medium security Correctional Programs
  Centre
• 120 bed minimum security Beechworth Prison
• Building Design and Review Project (BDRP)
• Upgrading of Ararat and Langi Kal Kal Prisons