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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-05-26 Daily Xml
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Ministerial Statement

MAKING CHANGES PRISONER REHABILITATION PROGRAM

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Gambling) (14:02): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Through measures such as more than 100 criminal law reforms and extra prosecutors, more criminals are going to prison, and there are now almost 200 crimes fewer a day compared to 2002. While the Rann government is proud of its tough law and order policies, it realises that the cycle does not end when offenders go to prison. That is why the government has been committed to having the appropriate rehabilitation programs in place to help foster inmates to learn from their mistakes.

The Department for Correctional Services provides an integrated and individual case management based approach to rehabilitation, across both custodial and community corrections. The 2009-10 budget allocates approximately $30 million for rehabilitation and reparation. This investment and the dedicated work by the Department for Correctional Services has led to South Australia boasting the country's lowest rate of reoffending.

The Productivity Commission's Report on Government Services 2010, released in January, found that 32.2 per cent of criminals released from South Australian gaols were incarcerated again within two years, well below the national average of 39.3 per cent. The report also found that South Australia has the highest percentage of prisoners enrolled in education courses to improve literacy and numeracy. At 66 per cent, the participation rate is almost double the national average of 36.4 per cent.

South Australia also recorded the highest rate of prisoners in vocational education and training courses (49.2 per cent compared to the national average of 28.6 per cent) and participants in pre-certificate level 1 courses (13.8 per cent compared to 2.8 per cent nationally).

As Minister for Correctional Services, I am proud of these statistics. However, I know, and the government knows, that more can be done. As a result, my department has invested in the development of a new program called Making Changes, which helps contribute to public protection by further reducing the risk of reoffending.

Departmental staff have been provided with the training for the first phase of implementation, which began in community corrections facilities this week prior to the program being rolled out at Mobilong next Monday. The second phase of implementation will occur over the next six months and enable the delivery of Making Changes at additional prisons and community correctional centres in regional areas.

As part of the program, offenders consider the effects of their behaviour, including the perspective of victims of crime. Given the high proportion of offenders with drug and alcohol issues, the program has a strong focus on minimising substance use. In addition, the program includes managing impulsive behaviour, effective emotional management and relationship skills. The content of the Making Changes program has been devised and structured to achieve the following objectives:

improving motivation and greater readiness to engage effectively in the treatment process;

increasing the understanding of the relationship between substance use and offending behaviour;

increasing the awareness of the impacts of substance abuse and/or offending behaviour on others, including victims;

developing skills to assist in reducing substance abuse;

improving offenders' problem-solving abilities and developing effective strategies to modify behaviour; and

positively changing attitudes and beliefs associated with criminal behaviour and reducing the risk of reoffending.

Making Changes will target offenders assessed as being of moderate to high risk of reoffending. Offenders selected to go through this rehabilitation program will go through an initial screening process, which includes an up to five-hour assessment to determine whether the offender is suitable for this intensive program.

The program will consist of approximately 140 treatment hours across three intervention phases: a preparatory and motivational phase; a substance abuse phase; and a general offending phase. Making Changes will accommodate offenders with different learning styles, and it will focus on skills to manage the specific areas associated with criminal conduct. I understand that reports regarding participation will be provided to the Parole Board of South Australia and will be used to assist the board when determining offenders' conditional release.

The Making Changes program is similar to successful programs already operating interstate and overseas, and will complement two other moderate to high intensity programs that have been operated with positive outcomes within the department since 2004 for violent and sexual offenders. Making Changes has been developed by utilising the skills within the Department for Correctional Services who have the knowledge and understanding of the South Australian prison population.

Once the Making Changes program has been implemented across prison and community corrections sites, the existing core programs—including Anger Management, Victim Awareness, Alcohol and Other Drugs and Think First—will be phased out. Making Changes will be evaluated in a similar manner to the sex offender and violent offender programs.

I believe that this is a progressive (and members will not hear me saying that too often) and positive step for rehabilitation services in South Australia's correctional facilities. This program further demonstrates the commitment that this government has to the public protection through rehabilitation.

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