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Parliamentary Questions


Question On Notice No. 2045 asked in the Legislative Council on 2 April 2019 by Hon Alison Xamon

Question Directed to the: Minister for Environment representing the Minister for Corrective Services
Parliament: 40 Session: 1


Question

I refer to the provision of programs for prisoners, and I ask:
(a) which Western Australian prisons currently offer parenting programs to prisoners; and
(b) for each prison in (a), please advise:
(i) the parenting program provider;
(ii) the duration of the program;
(iii) how many prisoners can undertake the program at any one time;
(iv) how many prisoners completed the program in:
(A) 2017;
(B) 2018;
(C) 2019 to date;
(v) how many prisoners are currently undertaking the program;
(vi) whether the program has been evaluated; and
(vii) if yes to (vi):
(A) who undertook the evaluation?
(B) when that evaluation occurred?

Answered on 14 May 2019

(a) All Western Australian prisons, except Greenough Regional Prison and Roebourne Regional Prison, offer voluntary parenting programs to prisoners through non-government organisations (NGOs) under the Department of Justice’s (the Department’s) rehabilitation and reintegration service agreements. 

(b) The Department undertook a tender process in 2017 for reintegration and rehabilitation services, including parenting and family support services. One of the aims of this process was to develop more integrated and targeted services across all service areas. The awarded contracts from this process commenced on 1 April 2018 with a number of previous service providers ceasing their services.

(i) The parenting program providers are listed below: 

Region

Service Provider

Metropolitan Men

Reset Reintegration Services

Metropolitan Women

Reset Reintegration Services

Great Southern Region

Pivot Support Services

Kimberley Region

Centacare Kimberley Association

Goldfields-Esperance Region

Centrecare

South West Region

AccordWest

(ii) & (iii). Each service provider delivers a unique service model under the Parenting Advice and Family Support Services service agreements. Each provider undertakes a number of different programs that are responsive to the needs of the regional cohort. Services are voluntary on behalf of the prisoner, however is mandated for mothers with children residing with them in prison, and can commence at any time during a prisoner’s sentence. The duration varies between programs. Current group programs provided by the various providers include:

  • Individual parenting sessions which includes counselling, addressing individual parenting needs and concerns and undertaking referrals to external services and agencies. The number of sessions provided depends on the needs of the individual.
  • Mothering at a Distance (MAAD) – includes 2 core workshop programs run 4 times a year, it is made up of:
    • Mother’s Group – 10 sessions for two hours, with ten female prisoners.
    • Stay and Play Supported Playgroup – 10 weekly sessions for up to an hour
  • Positive Pathways is made up of four separate 3 hour seminars run 4 times a year, with up to 12 women per seminar
    • Making Connections
    • Disciplining with Love
    • Creating Routines
    • Magic Coat
  • Inside Out Dad – 6 groups per annum with 12 men per group, are undertaken at Casuarina, Hakea, Karnet and Wooroloo
  • Active Parenting Now – 4 groups per annum with 12 per group, are delivered in prisons and community with 2 hour weekly sessions for 6 weeks
  • Circle of Security – 5 modules per program with 10 per group
  • Aboriginal Building Connections - 3 hours per session (8 sessions) with 10 clients per program.  

In addition, the same service providers also manage the Family Visitor Centre at the prisons within their regions, except Boronia Pre-Release Centre for Women, Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison, Karnet Prison Farm and West Kimberley Regional Prison. Through the visitor centres, the service providers support the families for positive visits with the prisoner and provide referrals to community services including financial assistance and counselling. 

(iv). As outlined above, the parenting service providers and programs changed on 1 April 2018. The number of prisoners reported to have undertaken parenting programs is as below: 

Year

Number of Prisoners

2017

456*

2018

212**

2019

N/A***

* Note: there were no parenting services delivered in regional areas prior to 1 April 2018.

** Due to the transition period between exiting service providers and incoming service providers, there was a reduction in programs available during this period.

*** No data has been collected for 2019 as service providers report on a six-monthly cycle.

(v). There are currently 96 prisoners engaged in a parenting program across all services.

(vi). The Department does not use a clinical evaluation process for reintegration services. These are monitored via operations and contract management.

(vii). Some programs as below have been adopted via the tendering process with stated evidence of prior evaluation:

  • Mothering at a Distance (MAAD) was evaluated by the New South Wales Department of Corrective Services in June 2009. The impact of the program was evaluated in the Current Issues in Criminal Justice, Volume 22 Number 3 in 2015.
  • Inside Out Dad was evaluated by Rutgers University Economic Development Research Group in 2012.

Active Parenting Now is based on a book widely available in bookstores, currently in its 4th edition.