making prisons even more obsolete !

Making Prisons Even More Obsolete!

SISTERS INSIDE

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

COURT

DIVERSION PROGRAM

“Sisters Inside workers and the Special Circumstance Court (SCCrt)

Program have turned my life around. I am now high on life! I can now see the moon and the stars.”

THE SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES COURT

Aims to work with people to address the underlying causes of their criminal behaviour.

Sentencing options include intensive support around dealing with the issues contributing to the offending.

Avoids giving fines.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

1 Full Time & 1 Part-time Staff

Committed to providing customised service to each woman

Approx. 250 participants over the past 3 years

Every Wednesday, Thursday & Friday

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

o Walk alongside the women

o Provide support and bridging resources

o To increase access and assist them to achieve whatever needs are important to them

o Ongoing support to feel & be safe and supported

o To introduce women to specific services

o To introduce and encourage participation in other SIS programs

UNIQUE FEATURES

OpportunisticUnstructured

Own pace, Own time

Highly intensive

PRACTICES UNDERPINNING PROGRAM

TRUSTRESPECT&

Respect Women as Equal__________________________

Respect Women as experts in their own life

__________________________

Respect Women’s decisions about their own needs

__________________________

Respect Women’s context and culture

__________________________

Respect Women’s space

PRACTICES UNDERPINNING PROGRAM

All decisions are driven by the

woman

Authentic

Consistent

Truthful

Admit to mistakes

Step out of comfort zone

Never breach confidentiality

Never reject a woman

PRACTICES UNDERPINNING PROGRAM

How do they become involved in

Special CircumstancesCourt?

“If it wasn’t for the Special

Circumstances Court & you (SIS

worker) I would be dead”

SUCCESSES

Achieve

RewardThe court focuses on addressing the causes of criminalisation.

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR #1

Change

Support

As one magistrate said…

“I sometimes see people who have finished their sentence standing at the back of the court and I think ‘Oh no’… But they have just come in to say hello. One lady who was re-engaging with study after 30 years was having trouble with her homework….so she came in to court looking for help and we were able to get together and sort something out.”

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR #1

The Sisters Program is the GLUE in

the relationship

between women and the Court.

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR #2

The Sisters Inside Inclusive Support Model contributes towards a woman achieving her set goals.

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR #3

I CAN’

TI CAN

I WILLI DID!

RECIDIVISM

4% of participants were imprisoned for new offences

1 for hospital treatment 3 asked to go back to prison

2 imprisoned due to pre-existing charges outside the SCCrt.

FISCAL BENEFITS

Average prison cost =$10,818 per woman

SIS SCCrt over three years = $1,875

BARRIERS TO OPTIMUM SERVICE DELIVERY

Unreasonable expectations by key service providers

Lack of essential services

BARRIERS TO OPTIMUM SERVICE DELIVERY

It is when these fundamental human rights are met, that women will feel free to move forward with their lives!

CONCLUSIONImprisonme

nt does harm to

women and children

Imprisonment compounds problems

already faced and puts

additional demands on

other essentials to

life

Paying attention HAS TO BE

more effective and

efficient

It is an investment in crime preventio

n

THANK YOU!