Cadell Training Centre

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (15:07): My question is to the Minister for Correctional Services. Can the minister advise the council about the driving school program that runs at the Cadell Training Centre?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:08): I thank the honourable member for her important question. The Cadell Training Centre is an incredibly important one with regard to correctional services in this state. It is located about 180 kilometres north-east of Adelaide on the River Murray, about 10 kilometres from Morgan. It is situated on approximately 1,600 hectares, and was opened back in 1960. Cadell accommodates low security prisoners in cell block, cottage and dormitory-style accommodation. Prisoners at Cadell are either undertaking education or employed within the Prison Industries program, which boasts industries in dairy, citrus and olive growing.

A program I was very happy to hear about recently—which was of particular interest to me in my capacity as Minister for Road Safety—was the driving school program, which is run by prisoners for prisoners with the oversight of an education coordinator. The driving school program began back in the 1980s, when a social worker instigated the program with the donation of an old HR Holden sedan from Offenders Aid and Rehabilitation Services, otherwise known as OARS.

Prisoners were able to sit their theory test and obtain their car licence. A prisoner would tutor the prisoners to learn to drive and a SAPOL officer would assess the trainee prisoner for both theory and car licence. The program today has evolved to provide prisoners the opportunity to obtain their car licence (their C class licence), their truck licence, their high-risk licence (like a forklift licence) or a backhoe licence (LB class) in conjunction with Regional Transport Training Services. Cadell now has a fleet car designated for the driving school program with a left-hand brake fitted. The car is currently being used for approximately 40 hours per week for driver training lessons with prisoners.

The program also assists prisoners to work through any barriers they may experience when obtaining a licence. Barriers which often exist within the offender prisoner population include the requirement to consider fines and disqualifications with the Fines Enforcement and Recovery Unit and the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure. We often take little things for granted and barriers such as identification have to be considered when obtaining your licence. Quite often the education coordinator will have to start the process of obtaining a birth certificate and Medicare card for prisoners so they can commence the program.

The program aims to work through such barriers with prisoners. The program assists prisoners through the theory component of testing and also the practical driver training. Prisoners drive a car with a licensed instructor for up to 60 hours, and 15 hours of night driving on some 1,600 hectares, that I referred to earlier. Prisoners are able to progress to a truck licence if they have a full licence for two years. Currently, two prisoners per month go through this program. The forklift licence program is highly successful, with up to seven prisoners each month engaged in the program. An assessor from Regional Transport Training Services comes in to conduct the forklift training and assessment.

The backhoe licence program is very popular and runs in conjunction with the Prison Industries irrigation work. Since October last year, there have been 60 successful theory licence tests, four car assessments for C class licences, nine backhoe (LB) licences, 17 high-risk forklift licences, three perception tests and five truck (MR) licences obtained. What this all amounts to is an example of the incredible work that DCS is doing in regard to providing those people who find themselves in the state's custody with skills that they can then use once they get out.

This is all about giving people an opportunity so that, once they have served their time, once they've done justice to those who have been wronged through being in prison, and that once they do get out they can make a positive contribution toward society rather than a negative one. We want to give these people basic skills, we want to reduce their likelihood of reoffending so that we have a safer community and, of course, we can save the taxpayer money in the process, but we are also giving these people an opportunity which they may not have otherwise had prior to coming into the correctional services system, which is an important element of the social justice commitment that this government has towards giving people a second chance.