BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS IN A DIVIDED SOCIETY

TO

SUPPORT DESISTANCE

Winston Churchill Fellowship to Australia and New Zealand

Report by Amanda Wood

2015 Churchill Fellow

2

‘Restorative Justice seeks to do justice to the suffering without perpetuating

the hatred aroused’ and focuses on ‘restoring the personhood that is

damaged or lost’. Archbishop Desmond Tutu (2009).

I dedicate this report to my mum Sandra who sadly passed away just before I

went on my adventure, her support, enthusiasm and love went with me

throughout my journey, and continues to do so.

Copyright © 19th February 2018 by Amanda Wood. The moral right of the

author has been asserted.

The views and opinions expressed in this report and its content are those of

the author and not of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, which has no

responsibility or liability for any part of the report.

I understand that the Churchill Trust may publish this report, either in hard

copy or on the internet or both and I consent to such publication. I also

warrant that my final report is original and does not infringe the copyright of

any person, or contain anything which is a breach of any privacy law or

obligation.

Signed Amanda Wood 1st September 2017

3

Index

P. 1 Cover Page

P. 2 Dedication

P. 4 Introduction

P. 8 Programme Summary

P. 9 Executive Summary

P. 10 Boronia Pre-release Centre for Woman

P. 15 Brooks Bennett Disability Justice Centre

P. 17 Aboriginal Serves Unit (ASU)

P. 19 Risdon Prison Tasmania

P. 26 Cairns Probation

P. 29 New Zealand

P. 30 Auckland South Corrections Facility

P. 31-35 Conclusion/Hydebank College

4

Introduction

At the very beginning of this report I would like to express my gratitude to the

Winston Churchill Trust for giving me the opportunity to travel and observe

such a wide range of organisations and people.

I take this opportunity to thank the individuals and organisations I met across

the globe, some of whom were inspirational in their quest to reach out to

some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

I would particularly like to thank the Northern Ireland Prison Service for

supporting my travels over the five weeks, to David Eagleson for all his advice

and knowledge, Shadd Maruna, Dereck Wilson for their contacts.

A particular thank you to Pastor Norman Reed a Family Support Worker in

Risdon Prison in Tasmania who is also a Churchill Fellow and is completely

inspirational and has endless buckets of empathy and enthusiasm, to Cathy his

wife for her kindness and warm hospitality of which I was so grateful for. The

Tasmanian Prison Service for allowing me access to Risdon Prison. To Mike

5

Inglis the Director of Auckland South corrections Facility and his team who

went out of their way to maximize my time in his prison.

When I was planning my trip I worked closely with Queens University Belfast

and the University of Ulster. Professor Shadd Maruna and Dr Derek Wilson had

a great source of contacts in both countries and I am extremely grateful for all

their help

Northern Ireland was paralyzed for many years during ‘The Troubles’ our communities were inward looking, broken, isolated and largely ignored by the decision makers not though fault but by the heightened security measures and suspicion which dominated the province for nearly thirty years.

The Criminal Justice System was designed for containment of paramilitary prisoners and only paid lip service to the OCD’s or Ordinary Decent Criminals as they were known locally. The wider community was not invited to play any part in the resettlement of offenders and as a whole the prison service was a closed shop to everyone outside of the gates.

Over the past twenty years we have gradually accepted that numerous factors play a part in offending behaviour, from low self-expectation, self-esteem, educational deficits, intergenerational crime, social exclusion all play a part in peoples journey. We are also waking up to realise that without community input and support the likelihood of resettling offenders effectively on release is substantially reduced.

I have worked in the criminal justice system for 28 years, I have served in a

variety of different custodial establishments and have helped to develop

initiatives to help offenders reintegrate back into their communities. The most

effective method always includes and acknowledges the importance of

community and cultural involvement with an emphasis on respect, opportunity

and support.

Every organisation is capable of improvement and by encouraging staff to

research and see what methods of intervention are acknowledged as best

practice we can make a difference to people and how we respond to them and

how the community can support and work alongside organisations to promote

reintegration.

6

I applied for a Winston Churchill Fellowship whilst on secondment to Probation

Board NI, Youth Justice Agency and two accredited Community groups;

Alternatives and CRJI.

Aim and objectives:

To develop my understanding of the importance of community and

cultural involvement within the criminal Justice System.

Developing Restorative Justice processes within Northern Ireland Prison

Service.

Engage the wider community to support and aid desistance.

To raise awareness among prisoners of the harm their actions have on

themselves and their communities.

To support the effective reintegration of offenders into community life

and support them desist from offending and

To restore family and community relationships and provide support for

family members.

I choose Australia and New Zealand as they have a history of using RJ within

their own communities in dealing with conflict or conflict resolution. They

advocate that the people most effective at finding a solution to a problem are

the people who are most directly impacted by the problem. RJ has a primary

focus on people and the damage that is caused to relationships as a result of a

wrong doing. It further pays attention to healing the damage in a range of

ways, not all of which are focused on punishment. A foundation principle is

that of RJ balancing the needs of the community, victims and offenders after

the offense has occurred.

They also acknowledge and demonstrate how strong community links and

involvement is important if not crucial in the successful transition of prisoners

from prison to the community. Positive social networks, working in the

community and with the community helps in reintegration. The local

community benefits from the work done by the offender and the offender

makes reparation for their crimes.

Studying desistance forces us away from static models of people as ‘offenders’,

‘criminals’ or ‘prisoners’ and encourages an understanding of change(s) in

7

personal identity. It also brings to our attention the fact that today’s ‘young

offender’ is more likely to become tomorrow’s new ‘father’ than tomorrow’s

‘habitual criminal’. As such, it implies valuing people for who they are and for

what they could become, rather than judging, rejecting or containing them for

what they have done. I returned to Northern Ireland with a heightened

understanding of how community involvement and support can really make a

difference and give people a new dimension to their life and futures.

A dimension of desistance concerns the relationship between the individual

and society.

Sampson and Laub (1993) developed a notion of a bond between an individual

and society. The bond is made up of the extent to which an individual has

emotional attachments to societal goals, is committed to achieving them

through legitimate means, believes these gaols to be worthy and is able to

involve themselves in the attainment of such goals.

Gordon and colleagues outlined a four part ‘theory of transformation’ where

they argue that the desistance process involves:

A ‘general cognitive openness to change’

Exposure and reaction to ‘hooks for change’ or turning points

The envisioning of an appealing and conventional ‘replacement

self’

A transformation in the way the person views deviant behaviour.

The first of these involves an awareness and willingness on the part of the

person desisting that change is both desirable and needed. Indeed, as noted by

several others e.g. Cusson and Pinsonneault, 1986; Farrall and Bowling, 1999, a

period of reflection and reassessment of what is important to the individual

would appear to be a common feature of the initial process of desistance. Of

course this is insufficient in itself. Giordano et al, 2001:1001, Farrall, what is so

needed is the exposure to some opportunity to change, and the individual

spotting this change as offering a potential ‘way out’ and then acting upon it.

This leads on to the next stage in this process, the individual’s ability to

imagine or conceive of them in a new (and conventional) role doing new

things.

8

Programme Summary

Location Organisation Contacts

Perth Boronia Pre-release Centre Janette Allen

Perth Disability Justice Centre Jarred Goodchild

Adelaide ASU Victor Rigney

Melbourne University of Melbourne Sitthana Theerathitiwong

Melbourne RMIT University Stan Winford

Tasmania Risdon Prison Norman Reed

Cairns Probation Justine Butler

Auckland Serco Mike Inglis

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Executive summary

My report outlines the main learning points from the five weeks research in

Australia and New Zealand whilst completing a Winston Churchill Fellowship.

The aim of my report is to demonstrate how Restorative Justice Practices,

community engagement, cultural awareness and respect can all aid and

support desistance and resettlement.

My Fellowship took me across Australia from Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne,

Tasmania, Cairns, Brisbane and Auckland. The establishments and

organizations I visited were mostly recommendation from colleagues within

the Department of Justice, University of Ulster and Probation Service of

Northern Ireland.

My aim is to develop a different approach to working with offenders within the

Northern Ireland Prison Service. In particular understanding and

acknowledging cultural differences whilst trying to change perceptions and

outcomes. To encourage community engagement by developing an outward

facing prison system that should give a deeper understanding demonstrate

some of the issues experienced by offenders and in turn allow the wider

community to understand and offer support especially on release.

10

Boronia Pre-Release Centre for woman.

Fig.1

The centre adopts a forward-looking model of imprisonment that recognises

the diverse needs of women in prison. This model is based on the principle that

while imprisonment serves as a punishment for crime, it also provides an

opportunity to maximise each woman’s potential to positively, confidently and

safely reintegrate with their families and communities. The Centre is run by

Superintendent Janette Allen who is passionate about caring for female

offenders and their successful resettlement into their communities and wider

society.

Boronia Pre-release Centre for woman is guided by four values and principles:

1. Personal responsibility and empowerment

Personal responsibility increases the potential to be law-abiding and achieve a

positive role in the community.

Empowerment means developing a sense of value and self-worth, and

confidence in the ability to create a positive future.

11

In Boronia, women live in Homewest style accommodation that mirrors

residential community living. They have the opportunity to make choices and

use everyday skills that are relevant to their return to the community.

Fig.2

Personal responsibility and empowerment is achieved by:

Having choices about education, training and employment

Taking the opportunity for meaningful health and lifestyle choices.

Contributing to the development and implementation of individual

management plans.

Participating in personal growth and skills development.

Participating in decision- making that builds confidence.

Being listened to and having legitimate choices accepted.

Supporting and encouraging each other.

Living within an environment that emphasises cooperation over

compliance.

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2. Family Responsibility

The importance of family relationships for woman in custody is supported and

encouraged for the benefit of the prisoners, their families and the community.

The restoration, maintenance and support of family relationships with an

emphasis on mothers and caregivers, their children and dependants are

essential to the well-being of women. In particular, it is recognised that for

many Aboriginal women in prison, they, their mothers and their children have

suffered a loss of maternal roles, through past government policies of

separation.

Relationships and family responsibilities are enhanced by:

Being confident that children are safe and comfortable within the

centre’s environment.

Having maximum opportunities to contact families, in particular

children, and significant others.

Participating in positive socialisation actives that promote mother-child

relationships.

Improving care-giving and relationship skills by accessing relevant

programs and support.

Living in an environment that is welcoming to children and families.

3. Community responsibilities

A successful partnership is built by actively encouraging community

participation and shared responsibility.

The successful transition of women from prison to the community depends on

positive social networks and involvement with the community.

Connections with the community are built by:

Participating in positive social networks with members of the general

community.

13

Interacting with community members both within the facility and in the

local community.

Working with and for the community.

Having the opportunity to learn new skills, develop self-esteem, gain

motivation and benefit from positive role models.

Having guidance, assistance and support for reintegration into the

community.

4. Respect and integrity

In all circumstances, the inherent dignity of all people is respected, and the

unique characteristics, diverse backgrounds and needs and views of women

are valued. Actions are guided by equity, fairness and the specific needs of

individuals.

Respect for individuals and their differences, such as individual religious and

cultural beliefs, is the basis for positive interpersonal relationships and self-

respect, which creates a healthy environment where individuals can live and

work cooperatively.

Mutual respect is developed by:

Living in an environment with a safety and security and confidence in the

services provided.

Receiving cultural and gender-appropriate services.

Respecting the dignity of individuals, personal differences and the views

of others.

Being respected and respecting cultural identity, beliefs and practices.

Integrity is promoted by:

Behaving and speaking in ways that model fairness, respect and equality.

Being honest with one’s self and others.

14

These values and principles achieve a healthy community environment and

supportive culture that promotes physical, psychological and spiritual well-

being for all women, taking into account their diverse needs and risks.

Fig.3

15

Bennett Brook Disability Justice Centre, Perth.

Fig.4

This centre was built to accommodate and support some of the most

vulnerable members of the community. It is home to no more than ten people

who have been deemed to be mentally impaired accused because of their

disability. They have been accused but not convicted of a crime and have been

deemed by a court as unfit to plead because of their disability.

The cases of this small group of people are managed by the Mentally Impaired

Accused Review Board. Currently when making an assessment the board has

three options available to them under the law; immediate release back into

the community, prison, or a declared place. Until last year a declared place had

not been built, so, although the law allowed for it, sending a person to one had

not been a genuine option for the board.

The new disability justice centre is the state’s first declared place and provides

an appropriate and suitable option to house people who do not belong in

prison, but need to learn behaviour that aligns with community standards.

Learning this behaviour will better prepare them for their eventual return to

the community.

It is widely acknowledged that people who are unfit to plead often spend much

longer periods of time in prison than if they had been convicted of the offense.

This is because there is nowhere else for them to go. Prison is not suitable

16

environment for this small group of vulnerable people with intellectual or

cognitive disability.

During the time I visited the Centre there were only two men in their custody,

one was an aboriginal man and the other was from Asia. I asked the manager

Jarred Goodchild why there was only two and he explained that referrals to the

centre were slow being processed and endorsed due to the set criteria for

eligibly and reluctance by individuals to approve eligibility. It is widely

acknowledged that people who are unfit to plead often spend much longer

periods of time in prison than if they had been convicted of the offence. This is

because there is nowhere else for them to go. Prison is not a suitable

environment for this small group of vulnerable people with intellectual or

cognitive disability.

Spending time in the secure but home-like environment of the disability justice

centre will help people gain the necessary life skills and experience to help

them when they eventually do return to community living. People will receive

supports and services that are tailored to meet their needs and achieve their

goals.

They may do their own cooking, washing, cleaning and undertake recreation

activities and programs to learn socially appropriate behaviours. Eventually,

they may also become involved in activities that contribute to the broader

community.

Fig.5

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The Aboriginal Services Unit, ASU.

The Aboriginal Unit (ASU) was established in 1995 as a result of the Royal

Commission into the Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (RCIADIC). It was recognised

that in order to respond to the Royal Commission recommendations it was

necessary to establish the required resources to monitor the outcomes.

The ASU is responsible for advising and developing the provision of culturally

appropriate services to Aboriginal prisoners and offenders, and is a significant

contributor to policy development for the management and rehabilitation of

Aboriginal offenders. The Unit actively participates in the development of

partnerships and support for Aboriginal community organisations and other

government departments, in the provision of services for Aboriginal offenders.

Aboriginal offenders require special attention in any correctional system

because of their culture and high level representation. In the South Australian

system, Aboriginal offenders come from urban backgrounds and traditional

lands in the far north and western areas of the state. The ASU develops and

implements policies and practices applicable for managing these offenders and

liaising with key advocacy groups.

Culturally competent programs and services are critical to reducing re-

offending by Aboriginal offenders and improving outcomes for them.

A report on Government Services indicated the average daily Aboriginal

imprisonment rate in South Australia as 23% this is only 3% below the national

average of 26.1%. The Department put a number of strategies in place:

Provide programs for rehabilitation that are culturally competent.

Employment of Aboriginal liaison Officers.

The construction of ‘Pakani Arangka’ an Aboriginal accommodation unit

Focus on literacy and numeracy.

Recruitment and retention strategies for Aboriginal staff.

Maintaining an Aboriginal Services Unit.

The Aboriginal Services Unit also coordinates the Prevention of Aboriginal

Deaths in Custody Forum, which is held every six weeks at different prisons.

18

This forum is directly focused on achieving better outcomes in reducing

reoffending and ensuring ongoing commitment to the recommendations of the

Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (1991).

It is chaired by the Chief Executive and provides an opportunity for Aboriginal

prisoners to communicate issues important to them. As a result of these

strategies Aboriginal deaths in custody have drastically decreased .The

Department of Correctional Services provides a wide range of services to

Aboriginal prisoners including:

Violence Prevention Program – modified to ensure culturally

appropriate.

Spiritual Programs involving Aboriginal Elders to promote healing

Specific Aboriginal Health Services.

As at May 2011 the Department has 67 Aboriginal/Torren Islander employees

which is approximately 4.1% of all Departmental employees, well above the

States Strategic target of 2%.

19

Risdon Prison, Tasmania

Fig.6

Tasmania is almost equivalent in size to Scotland. However, its total population

(around 500,000) and its prison population (around 500 people) are

considerably smaller.

Risdon prison complex is a medium to maximum security prison for males; it is

located in Risdon Vale near Hobart Tasmania. The complex comprises 219

maximum security cells and 84 medium security cells and a 38 bed secure

Mental Health Unit for men with Forensic Mental Health needs.

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Fig.7

The Hon Dr Vanessa Goodwin MLC the Attorney General for Tasmania.

Norm Reed is the resident Pastor and Family Engagement Worker in Risdon

prison and Steve Graham is the Reintegration & Transition Consultant at

Risdon prison.

Returning Citizens: ‘giving back’ projects

In collaboration with community-based stakeholders, Tasmania Prison Service

offers prisoners opportunities to take part in a range of community service

activities and restorative ‘giving back’ projects. Some of these are undertaken

entirely within the prison facilities, and others use the rehabilitative and

reintegration leave permits for day release.

21

Community service activities and ‘giving back’ projects include:

A prison community garden

Sustainability activities and organic food distribution network

Environmental restoration and construction of stone bridges in restored

creek areas

Helping local authorities and farmers with recovery efforts in bushfire-

affected areas

Training assistance animals for people with disabilities

‘Pups on Parole’ animal foster care project re-socializing unwanted dogs

for placement in new homes

Building outdoor adventure learning facilities for Scout groups

Volunteering as accredited community sports umpires at public cricket

and football matches

‘Hand Made with Pride’ involves female prisoners designing and sewing

bespoke pieces for premature babies in neonatal intensive care, women

with breast cancer, and homeless people.

Several of these activities and projects include accredited education and

training to further develop participants’ human capital and post-release

employment prospects.

Giving back in community is different from community payback: it is not

imposed and is not part of a sentence. Prisoners voluntarily choose to

participate, taking on active roles to shape a ‘giving back’ project as their own,

as a source of passion and pride. As these are re-integrative initiatives, not

correctional industries, Tasmania Prison Service does not procure fiscal

remuneration or material benefits (such as food from the community garden)

from them.

Giving back through the community service and the leave permits scheme have

been intentionally co-designed to help foster developmental processes of

desistance. For example, they increase the amount and qualities of the

relationships available to prisoners, adding to the social network of people

22

they would otherwise see through traditional prison visits. Community service

activities present opportunities for generative giving in meaningful and socially

valued roles, reciprocally widening the repertoire of life-giving experiences

available to prisoners. We see their value as spanning four aspects of social

capital, enabling people in prison to actively make a difference in community,

for community, with community, and as community.

Social justice is another integral quality; for example, Tasmanian prisoners co-

design and co-produce cold climate swag bedding for homeless people and

grow organic food for children and families experiencing food insecurity. In the

context of these initiatives, people in prison are positioned as skilled helpers

and makers. The ethos underpinning this approach emphasises moral and

social rehabilitation to reconcile and reduce the differences between returning

citizens and their communities.

Crime is an event, not a person. Opportunities for belonging and becoming

something other than a ‘criminal’ or ‘offender’ need to start before release

day. Opportunities for belonging and becoming something other than a

criminal or offender need to start long before they are released. Developing

community around common ground yields fertile opportunities for change and

working towards different futures: importantly, this approach people leaving

prison are not the only lives that are being changed. (Scottish Justice Matters

2015).

23

Community Garden

Fig.8

Community Garden Project Staff

In collaboration with community-based stakeholders, Tasmania Prison Service

offers prisoners opportunities to take part in a range of community service

activities and restorative ‘giving back’ projects. Some of these are undertaken

entirely within prison facilities, and others use the rehabilitative and

integrative leave permits for day release. This picture shows the area used by

the community and prisoners to grown vegetables and fruit which is

distributed to the community.

24

Fig. 9

Fig.10

Prisoners from Risdon Prison working in the Community Garden preparing

food grown by them to feed their community, this is a pre-release, unpaid,

giving back project run by Pastor Norman Reed.

25

Fig.11

Pastor Norman Reid (centre), Steve Graham University of Tasmania &

Reintegration Officer at Risdon Prison (far right), Rosalie Martin CEO Chatters

Matters (second right) and some of the volunteers at the Christian Family

Centre, Risdon Vale, Tasmania.

26

Cairns

Justin Butler: Probation and Cultural officer.

Fig.12

27

We discussed the issues around ‘over representation’ of the Aboriginal population within the

Australian criminal justice system.

‘‘We cannot flee persecution to another country because we

are spiritually connected to our own ancestral lands. So jails

and mental institutions are full of our people’’.

—Wadjularbinna Nullyarimma, Gungalidda Elder and member of Aboriginal Tent Embassy [30]

‘’There’s no doubt that prison has a ripple effect on every family,

especially if the member in prison was supporting the family’’.

-Justice Valerie French, Chairman Prisoners Review Board

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New Zealand

History:

During the 1980’s NZ faced a crisis familiar to other Western nations around

the world. Thousands of children, especially members of minority groups, were

being removed from their homes and placed in foster care or institutions. The

juvenile justice system was overburdened and ineffective. NZ incarceration

rate for young people was one of the highest in the world, but its crime rate

also remained high. At the same time, NZ punitive approach was also in part a

‘welfare’ model. Although young people were being punished, they were also

being rewarded by receiving attention. Yet they were not required to address

the actual harm they had caused.

Especially effected was the minority Maori population, the indigenous people

of NZ. Maori leaders pointed out that the Western system of justice was a

foreign imposition. In their culture, judges did not mete out punishment.

Instead, the whole community was involved in the process, and the intended

outcome repair. Instead of focusing on blame, they wanted to know ‘why’,

because they argued that finding the cause of crime is part of resolving it.

Instead of punishment (‘Let shame be the punishment’ is a Maori proverb),

they were concerned with healing and problem-solving. The Maori also

pointed out that the Western system, which undermined the family and

disproportionally incarcerated Maori youth, emerged from a larger pattern of

institutional racism. They argued persuasively that cultural identity is based on

three primary institutional pillars-law, religion and education. And when any of

these undermines or ignores the values and traditions of the indigenous

people, a system of racism is operating.

Because of these concerns in the late 1980s the government initiated a process

of listening to communities throughout the country. Through this listening

process, the Maori recommended that the resources of the extended family

and the community be the source of any effort to address these issued.

29

Auckland South Corrections Facility: An innovative approach to

reducing offending.

Fig.13

Director Mike Inglis opened the new facility in June 2015. His vision is that his

new facility will be a leader in innovation correctional practice and establish

benchmarks of prisoner rehabilitation, reintegration and reduced reoffending.

The prison is fully integrated into the NZ justice and correctional system and

will partner with mana whenua (people of the land) in exercising Kaitiakitanga

(guardianship) over the site.

Reintegration officers rather than corrections officer has been adopted to

better reflect the focus on successful rehabilitation and reintegration back into

society.

The local reintegration manager Bernadette Pereira believes that the secret to

helping men stop offending on release lies with partnering with communities

and NGO sector to support and welcome their men back into their community.

Cultural liaison officers within the new facility where very visible and

approachable and had made great connections throughout Serco and the

wider community. The ‘Fale Pasifika’ opening took place a few weeks before

my arrival with invited guests who enjoyed vigorous singing by the Kohu ora

30

pasifika staff group to the blowing of conch shells and pasifika drum beats by

Tatau dance group.

Prisoners working in the gardens of Auckland South Corrections Centre.

Fig.14

31

Conclusion

Why my Fellowship was necessary

Hydebank Wood College

Fig.15

Returning from my Winston Churchill travels I had the privilege of working at

Hydebank Wood College & Female Prison one of the first young offender’s

centres in the UK to become a secure college. For the next 15 months I was

part of a team led by Governors Austin Treacy and Richard Taylor who have

developed a regime built around learning and skills and actively promote

community involvement with an emphasises on valuing young people,

encouraging and skilling them up through education, vocational opportunities,

volunteering, charity work, local theatre productions, farming, catering and

hospitality and numerous social enterprise schemes to support reintegration

into wider society.

32

Fig.16

Belfast Metropolitan College develop individual Personal Educational Plans

(PDP) based on a needs analysis for every person arriving at HWW College. The

educational model within HBW College mirrors what educational providers

outside of a secure environment offer and meets with government targets. A

link is established straight away and offers the students through-care in terms

of carrying on their learning once released into the wider society.

Initiatives which encourage local community participation are very evident at

Hydebank College such as ‘The Cabin’ where students prepare and serve food

to staff, students and visitors has been a major success, and students get the

opportunity to gain qualifications up to level 3 City & Guilds in Hospitality &

Catering as it is a real live environment. Local senior citizens are invited to The

Cabin to enjoy lunch which is prepared and served by the students, the

vegetables used are grown in the gardens by the students, this offers the

opportunity for the senior citizens to chat with the students and get to know

33

them and vice versa students feel good that they have been given the chance

to give something back to the older people and talk to them about their life

and the issues affecting them both. A high percentage of students in Hydebank

have been raised by their grandparents or they have had a lot of input into

their lives so they tend to respond well to the senior citizens.

The Boronia pre-release centre demonstrates how a personal approach based

on the needs of females is very effective way to support woman whilst they

prepare for release back to their families and wider communities.

The Auckland South Corrections Centre emerged itself in the various cultures

represented in NZ, embracing customs and practices tried and tested for

centuries to help people desistance from a life of crime.

At Risdon Prison in Tasmania I observed ‘Giving Back’ projects which enhanced

prisoners self-esteem and focused their thinking about issues affecting people

in need or less fortunate than others.

Recommendations from my trip:

Implement a RJ ethos throughout the Northern Ireland Prison Service

establish wider community involvement in the resettlement of offenders

promote cultural awareness and understanding

Acknowledge as an organisation the different aspects around offending

behaviour and recruit and train staff to deal with these social and

criminal issues.

Introduce a Victim Awareness Programme to the RJ landing within

Maghaberry Prison.

‘Hooks for change’ or ‘turning points’ brings us back to the Hydebank College

example where we can observe the students being offered missed

opportunities they originally had with education and vocational training.

Offering them the opportunity to gain the skills to go forward, to make amends

to their victims and return to their communities and be accepted.

34

A Restorative Prison

Restorative imprisonment or the vision of a fully restorative prison, principles

and practices would permeate the work of the prison. There would be victim

empathy courses in which prisoners meet with ‘unrelated’ victims and

opportunities for prisoners to encounter their actual victims for restorative

dialogue. The achievement of RJ goals such as repairing the harm caused by

crime to people and relationships would be incorporated into the prison

mission and RJ principles would influence the way society answers the

question ‘why the prison’. The message which those sentenced to

imprisonment receive from society and the courts is that they are being sent to

prison for punishment, many offenders interpret this message as meaning that

by suffering the hardships of imprisonment for a certain period of time they

will have paid for their offence. In a restorative prison this message would be

countered at the induction and sentence planning stages and constantly from

that point on. Prisoners would be actively encouraged to take active

responsibility.

The message would be that they must use their time in prison to make amends

for their offence in more active ways. Prisoners would be encouraged and

assisted to think about how they could use their time in prison to help repair

the harm they caused to their victims and to the wider society and to ensure

that, on release, they were less likely to engage in further harmful acts.

Since the emergence of the rehabilitative ideal the aspiration has been that

prisoners will learn good work habits in prison. In a restorative prison work

would take on a more reparative function as witnesses in Tasmania, an

opportunity for prisoners to do something to make amends to their victims

and society for their past wrongdoing. The emphasis would be upon prisoners

doing constructive work for others and especially for the communities that

they have harmed. Where possible the ideal would be that prisoners would

actually do work in the community in order to enhance its reparative nature

and effects.

The boundaries between a prison and its surrounding community tend to be

formidable. A restorative prison would have a different relationship with its

local community. The core purpose of it would be to prepare prisoners for

35

return to the community as law abiding citizens to achieve this strong links

should be created between the prison and the community. Prison walls would

be more ‘permeable’ with members of the community coming in to participate

in its work and prisoners going out to do constructive work in the community.

The challenge for the twenty first century Criminal Justice Department is to

build the road in conjunction with the wider community and its citizens to

inspire a vision that allows the person desisting to see a future and support

them along the way.

Amanda Wood.