Annual Reports
Department for Correctional Services
2000-2001: The Department indicated that its Declaration of Reconciliation was signed during this reporting period. Further, the gymnasium at Port Augusta prison was converted to an education centre, with discrete facilities for Aboriginal prisoners. Planning was progressed for a diversionary facility to be built on APY Lands, and the Department contributed to a review of the Nunga Court (se 5.4.2 below).
2002-2003: An Indigenous Court Writer Position (established in 2001) to prepare pre-sentence reports for Indigenous offenders was filled during this period. An Aboriginal Services Unit was also established, to be responsible for advising and developing the provision of culturally appropriate services to Aboriginal offenders and prisoners and increasing Aboriginal recruitment, inter alia.
2003-2004: The Department established the Karinga Women's Release and Diversion Hostel. Karinga Women's Release and Diversion Hostel provides, according to the Department, culturally appropriate, safe, stable, transitional and supported accommodation for Indigenous women. Karinga can accommodate eleven women, with three of those on Home Detention. Karinga residents are supported by the Department's case managers and community agency support workers to settle into community living, access long-term accommodation and benefit from life skills programs and services. It is the only Indigenous Women's Release and Diversion Hostel operating in the country for Indigenous women offenders, according to the Department. Further, three Senior Aboriginal Programs Officers have been appointed to the Rehabilitation Programs Branch to develop and deliver culturally appropriate programs for violent, Aboriginal and sex offenders. In addition they are developing a cultural immersion pre-motivational program as a first step in the rehabilitation process for Aboriginal offenders. The Department has also entered into a Partnering Agreement with APOSS to better clarify and improve relevant roles and service delivery to Aboriginal prisoners and offenders. Consistent with the spirit of the Partnering Agreement, the Unit supported the creation of a Housing Information and Referral Officer position for Aboriginal prisoners based in APOSS. The Department has also developed Aboriginal Community Supervision Agreements with APY communities to supervise their community members who are prisoners and who are attending funerals on the APY Lands. These agreements were written in formal and Aboriginal English and have been negotiated with individual communities. Four APY Lands communities have signed the agreements and community members have been identified for training as volunteer supervisors, in addition to training provided to the Aboriginal community. Once operational, funeral leave under these Agreements for Anangu prisoners will be more culturally sensitive and humane.A culturally appropriate training package has also been developed for Port Augusta custodial officers involved in escorts to the APY Lands.
2004-2005: To date, 29 women have passed through the Karinga Hostel, including 15 Aboriginal women and 14 non-Aboriginal women. The Aboriginal Services Unit within the Department has implemented a special Art program that encourages prisoners to become involved in the development of their skills in the areas of art and visual expression. During this reporting period, the prisoners were involved in the Fringe festival and also hosted two art exhibitions within the community. The Aboriginal Services Team has held five exhibitions where prisoner art was displayed to the public during 2004-2005. Three Senior Aboriginal Programs Officers (SAPOs) have been orientated to the Rehabilitation Programs Branch to develop and deliver culturally appropriate programs for violent, Aboriginal offenders. The Aboriginal Rehabilitation Team provided a number of programs for Aboriginal prisoners and offenders throughout the correctional system (Aboriginal Ending Offending; Alcohol and Other Drugs; Sexual Offender Program; and Anger Management). The attendance rate was apparently high and consistent.
2005-2006: The Department indicated that during this reporting period, they involved Elders in the delivery of a Violence Prevention Program. A casual pool of Aboriginal Liaison Officers was set up in prisons and partnerships were enhanced with Aboriginal health services. The Aboriginal Rehabilitation Team has provided programs to Aboriginal prisoners and offenders (Aboriginal Ending Offending, Alcohol and Other Drugs, Sexual Offender, Anger Management, Violence Prevention Program, and Victim Awareness). Work with Aboriginal Prisoner and Offender Support Services (APOSS) has included the creation of a Housing Information and Referral Officer position for Aboriginal offenders and prisoners. The Aboriginal Services Unit continues to coordinate the Prevention of Aboriginal Deaths in Custody Forum, as it has done for some time. This Forum provides Aboriginal prisoners with an opportunity to raise concerns and for the Department to respond.
2006-2007: The Department worked on the Remote Areas - Family Violence Program on APY Lands, as a cross border initiative with the Northern Territory and Western Australia in this reporting period. The Department secured resources from TAFE to deliver education to Aboriginal prisoners. The Rehabilitation Programs Branch employed four SAPOs to work with Indigenous offenders in relation to the sex offender and violent offender programs, and to also provide programs specifically for Aboriginal prisoners (Anger Management, Victim Awareness, Ending Offending). The Aboriginal Services Unit supported Elders in the development of a Substance Misuse Community Resilience Program, provided mental health first aid training to all Aboriginal staff, and continued to enhance the Department's partnership with Aboriginal Health Services to provide culturally appropriate services to Aboriginal prisoners. The Unit is also working with APOSS by providing specialist support for high risk, high needs offenders in the community, and collaborates with the Throughcare Unit to participate in interagency and interdisciplinary case conferences. The Department signed an MOU with DEFEEST to transfer responsibility for Aboriginal education to the Department, and this has seen an increase in Aboriginal prisoners enrolled in vocational and educational programs in 2007. In terms of effective offender management, the Report indicates that prisoner numbers have continued to increase, with Indigenous prisoners up from 16.8% of all prisoners in June 2003, to 21.9% in June 2007. Since 1990, there have been 75 deaths in custody (16% Indigenous - (12 deaths)), with 2 deaths in 2006-07. Indigenous community based orders have increased from 10% of all orders in June 2003 to 15% in June 2007. Commonwealth partnership funding has been provided to assist in the development of offender rehabilitation programs in Central Australia, as well as the development of cross-border protocols for the transfer of Aboriginal prisoners.
2007-2008: The Department supported the implementation of a Prison to Employment Program for Aboriginal prisoners at Port Augusta.
Justice Portfolio/Department of Justice
2004-2005: A Drug Court Aboriginal Reference Group was convened to increase Aboriginal participation in the Drug Court. Further, work was done to improve coordination and delivery of justice services in Central Australia and to improve community safety through development of the Cross Border Justice Project.
2005-2006: An evaluation of the Nunga Court (in operation since 1999) commenced. (1)
2006-2007: Correctional Services has established a Remote Areas Program to address family violence and other offending in remote Aboriginal communities in Central Australia. It is a cross border initiative involving South Australia, the Northern Territory and Western Australia, jointly funded by these jurisdictions and the Commonwealth.
2007-2008: The Children on Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands Commission of Inquiry Report (A Report into Sexual Abuse) was presented by Commissioner Mullighan to the Parliament on 30 April 2008 and included 46 recommendations (see below).