PRISONS — DRUG AND ALCOHOL PROGRAMS
476. Hon ALISON XAMON to the minister representing the
Minister for Corrective Services:
I refer to the provision of drug and alcohol programs in
prisons.
(1) Has there
been any delay in the delivery of drug and alcohol programs as a result of the
COVID-19 crisis?
(2) Are drug and alcohol programs currently being offered in
all prisons?
(3) If no to (2), in which prisons are programs not running?
(4) Are any
online options being offered to facilitate the delivery of drug and alcohol or
other offender programs to ensure that people are not being denied parole due
to not completing these programs?
(5) If no to (4), why not?
Hon STEPHEN DAWSON
replied:
I thank Hon Alison Xamon for some notice of the question. The
following answer has been provided to me by the Minister for Corrective
Services.
(1) The
criminogenic alcohol and other drug group program, Pathways, run by staff from
the Department of Justice—corrective services—and
non-government organisations has had no delays in delivery.
There have been some delays with
the AOD brief intervention group program run by the non-government organisation
Reset for remand prisoners at Hakea Prison and Melaleuca Women's
Prison. This program was temporarily replaced on 27 March 2020 with one-to-one
support due to COVID-19. The AOD brief intervention group program commenced at
Melaleuca on 24 April 2020.
(2) The criminogenic program Pathways is still being
offered at all prisons. The AOD brief intervention group program that is
offered only at remand prisons is currently being run at Melaleuca but not at
Hakea.
(3) The AOD
brief intervention group program at Hakea is currently replaced with one-to-one
support; however, the group program is in the process of being reinstated.
(4) No. Pathways is always facilitated in a group
work format, with facilitators and participants physically in the room. The AOD brief intervention group program was
delivered for a short time as one-to-one, face-to-face, support.
(5) Services were still able to be delivered face to face,
which is the preferred delivery method.
Madam President, I should
note that this question was asked on 13 May, so the information is current as
of that date.