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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-02-08 Daily Xml
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National Corrections Day

Mr FULBROOK (Playford) (12:14): By leave, I move my motion in an amended form:

That this house—

(a) notes that 20 January 2023 is National Corrections Day, recognising the tireless work and efforts of our dedicated corrections staff to reduce reoffending and to make the community safer; and

(b) expresses its gratitude to all corrections staff in all roles across the state, including correctional officers, community corrections officers, Aboriginal liaison officers, social workers, psychologists, correctional educators and administration and project staff for their professionalism, skill and compassion.

I am deeply honoured to have this opportunity to acknowledge the contribution made by our hardworking, brave and dedicated corrections officers. National Corrections Day is an opportunity to recognise the efforts of both our frontline staff and those working behind the scenes to reduce reoffending and to make our community safer.

I can only imagine the challenges faced by over 2,000 staff within the Department for Correctional Services and the personal qualities needed to succeed as corrections officers, community corrections officers, Aboriginal liaison officers, social workers, psychologists and administration and project staff.

Of course, this day is not just about great staff but also an occasion to recognise and thank the legion of dedicated volunteers who make an outstanding contribution to our corrections system. Like so many other facets within our community, I am pretty sure this would not function without them. Be it a staff member or a volunteer, their world is full of challenges but intrinsically linked by a desire to care in the quest of breaking the cycle of reoffending.

It would be irresponsible to suggest it is an easy life working with criminals. It cannot be ignored that working in our prisons can be dangerous, with 118 new workplace injury claims made last financial year. Given the challenges these staff face, it seems odd that it was only in 2018 that we first stopped as a nation to observe this day nationally. Traditionally, National Corrections Day is celebrated each year on the third Friday in January and acknowledges the often challenging work correctional services staff do to keep the community safe by maintaining safety and the security of our facilities as well as the supervision of offenders within the community.

In South Australia, this year we celebrated the occasion on 20 January, with a range of celebrations across the state, including morning and afternoon teas, as well as barbecue lunches. We have a local workforce that is a credit to the state and it is only right that this house stops to acknowledge what they have achieved in recent years.

Back in August 2016, the previous state Labor government introduced a bold target to reduce the rate of reoffending by 10 per cent by 2020, driving a fundamental shift in corrections policy. In 2022, it was announced that Corrections had not only met but exceeded that target and South Australia now has the lowest reoffending rate in the country at 39.3 per cent. This contrasts favourably against the national average of 53.1 per cent.

In presenting these figures, while I do not support the privatisation of our prisons, the contributions made by the member for Hartley, when he served as minister, should not be overlooked. The fact that during this time COVID reared its ugly head makes this result all the more remarkable. When you note results like these and read in the department's annual report that it emerged from the pandemic as a stronger, more resilient and robust organisation, you cannot help but feel that David Brown and his team have every reason to be proud of their efforts.

Given the challenges of the pandemic, I am sure most of us would have expected Corrections to revert back to basics. This was anything but, with these excellent results achieved through a range of rehabilitation initiatives. This included the introduction of the Work Ready, Release Ready program that links people to a job before release from custody. This extremely successful program supports participants to:

build job skills prior to release through education, vocational skills and employment-readiness training;

helps participants gain financial security, purpose and social connections as a result of returning to work;

mitigates the likelihood of breaches of community-based orders; and

assists participants to find and maintain employment post release.

Rehabilitation efforts were also doubled, with a focus on delivering gender, culturally specific and offence-focused therapeutic programs. Efforts like these aligned perfectly to the national theme of the day of 'collaborative corrections'. It was therefore an opportune moment for staff to reflect and celebrate their outstanding work, knowing they have the confidence of the community and the Malinauskas government to reach their new target to reduce reoffending by 20 per cent, from the 2016 baseline rate down to 36.8 per cent.

The fact that the national theme for the day reflects front and centre on the business models undertaken locally shows that in many ways we have a system that is the envy of the rest of the nation. This is further reinforced by other programs, such as the Road to Redemption, another great example of a successful community partnership, which not only supports Aboriginal people under department supervision but also provides a pathway into employment in the civil construction industry.

While the disproportionate number of Aboriginal people in custody is a sad indictment that we must all own, on a side note I do feel that we could learn something from the department, which has increased its Aboriginal participation share of its workforce from 4 per cent in 2020-21 to just over 5 per cent in the last financial year.

In acknowledging the occasion, this state also belongs to the many people involved in meaningful partnerships through the department's partnership framework. Partners include those within government, non-government organisations and industries. As with our volunteers, I am pretty sure the place would not succeed without them.

In wrapping up, I also wish to acknowledge the excellent work of the Public Service Association, which represents corrections officers. While we stop for a day to acknowledge those working in the system, the union is out there daily standing up for their members. As a proud unionist, I want to give thanks for supporting each other and reiterate that my door is always open to you and your members.

We must move away from an 'out of sight, out of mind' society. It is therefore important to discuss, celebrate and understand what goes on in the correctional system. National Corrections Day is not just important to those who work in the system but an opportunity for the broader community to stop and celebrate the achievements of our great staff, volunteers and partners, and to also gain a greater understanding of what they are up against. On behalf of my constituents and the Malinauskas government, I give thanks to them all and commend this motion in amended form to the house.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (12:22): I rise to speak to the amended motion by the member for Playford that this house:

(a) notes that 20 January 2023 is National Corrections Day, recognising the tireless work and efforts of our dedicated corrections staff to reduce reoffending and to make the community safer; and

(b) expresses its gratitude to all corrections staff in all roles across the state, including correctional officers, community corrections officers, Aboriginal liaison officers, social workers, psychologists, correctional educators and administration and project staff for their professionalism, skill and compassion.

We have prisons located, obviously, right across the state. We have the Adelaide Remand Centre, the Adelaide Women's Prison, the Cadell Training Centre, the Mobilong Prison (which is in Murray Bridge), the Mount Gambier Prison, the Port Augusta Prison, the Yatala Labour Prison and the Adelaide Pre-release Centre.

An honourable member: Port Lincoln Prison.

Mr PEDERICK: And Port Lincoln Prison. I thought there was a prison in Port Lincoln; there you go, one missing off the list. I do want to salute the staff, with all the roles that they contribute to working in the corrections facilities right across the state. It is a difficult job. It is a job where they are trying to get on top of prison numbers, to contribute to the occasion of reoffending, and to bring those numbers down so that prisoners can lead a better life when they get out of prison after they serve their time.

I know there are various projects to keep prisoners busy. In regard to actual work projects in Mobilong Prison, there is the HEGS Pegs project, those fancy little orange pegs where you can peg your clothes without putting a mark on them if that is what you so desire. I do not get that fussy; I just use the peg way but that is just me. They also put pallets together in there, and they have a project making headstones for unmarked graves for veterans, a very serious program that prisoners at Mobilong contribute to, and I salute them for that.

There is a bloke who comes from Coonalpyn, Michael Dent, who I would have played footy with, who has worked in Corrections. He has been operating at Mobilong and I believe he is in charge at Mobilong now. He went to Cadell for a while, and he does a great job in keeping that facility on the straight and narrow.

When Mobilong was built in 1987, it had room for 150 single-celled prisoners. Those numbers have built up over time where cells were doubled and in some cases tripled. I remember the former member for Port Adelaide, Kevin Foley’s famous quote, ‘Rack ’em, pack ’em, stack ’em’. Other facilities have been built, and that has been ongoing over time, to where Mobilong now holds 472 prisoners, and it is almost like small unit accommodation where prisoners have their own room.

When some of those early rooms were built, I think there were five rooms, then two of them were doubled up to fit seven into each unit, but newer units have been built since then. I think, in regard to the open campus style of prison, and Mobilong was a trendsetter in those days in getting that going, it is probably close to maximum capacity, although I suppose as long as there is ground, there is room to put in more buildings.

What we need to be doing, and what prison workers and all the other workers in supply support services need to do—whether it is educational services, psychology services and all the other wraparound services—is assist prisoners so that they do not reoffend and have the option of getting out to have a better life.

One of those programs is the GAP program. It is a great program involving 16 greyhounds that have finished their lives as racing greyhounds. I have seen it a couple of times on professional visits to the prison. The program puts prisoners together with their own greyhound that they look after for quite a while. It is quite therapeutic and gives prisoners a real sense of achievement, and I have met prisoners there who have been a part of that process.

I really want to acknowledge Chris Tilley, who I ran into last night at a Veterans Advisory Council function. He works in Mobilong and does a great service in relation to Corrections. In Correctional Services, he was a finalist in the Veteran Employee of the Year 2021, and I will just tell you his story.

Following eight years in the Australian Defence Force as an infantryman, Chris transitioned into a role as corrections officer at Mobilong Prison. Whilst Chris’s transition into a civilian job was seamless, he struggled to find the same degree of meaning and purpose in his role as he previously held in the ADF.

Chris became aware that a number of the prisoners he was guarding were veterans so he independently undertook research to understand the number of veterans in the South Australian prison population. From this research, Chris recognised the need for coordinated support for veteran prisoners and led the establishment of a veteran support group at Mobilong Prison.

This group commenced as a peer support group but evolved to provide a link to services for specific needs, such as emergency housing, careers, legal support, family support, DVA claims and advocacy. The primary focus of the group is to give veteran prisoners the best opportunity to maintain the values associated with being a veteran, thereby assisting with the reintegration of prisoners who are veteran into the broader community—a benefit to all.

Chris is continuing to work with executives from the South Australian Department for Correctional Services to influence the rollout of a statewide veteran support program for veteran prisoners and veterans on community-based corrections orders. He is also committed to assisting fellow veterans to be positive members of the community, to be proud of their service and to instil values of pride and honour through identification as a veteran. I quote: 'Thanks for believing in me that I'm more than a criminal,' said veteran T on his release from prison. 'I needed something positive to do with my time…I don't know how I would have got through this without your support,' veteran C said, after successfully securing a job whilst on home detention.

Chris is a member of the South Australian Veterans Advisory Council, as I indicated. I was talking to him last night at the Younger Veterans—Contemporary Needs Forum. I truly salute his work with veterans. Sadly, some veterans have found themselves in correctional facilities for various reasons and this is a great way to assist those who have served our country, who have been prepared to put their lives on the line.

Sadly, as we know—and it does not matter if you are an infantryman or service man or woman—sometimes things go wrong. In general, for people in society, sometimes things go wrong, too. In regard to people's service within the Australian Defence Force, I absolutely salute their service and I salute the service that Chris Tilley is doing to make sure that he can do all he can to get these veterans' lives back on track.

In the main, I salute all of the workers who work in our correctional facilities. It is a tough job; it is tough gig, and we must all concentrate on doing what we can to lower the levels of reoffending and essentially lower the levels of offending so that society as a whole can benefit in the longer term.

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (12:32): I rise to speak in support of the motion, and I commend my colleague on bringing it forward because it is an important day to recognise. The motion states that this house:

(a) notes that 20 January 2023 is National Corrections Day, recognising the tireless work and efforts of our dedicated corrections staff to reduce reoffending and to make the community safer; and

(b) expresses its gratitude to all corrections staff in all roles across the state, including correctional officers, community corrections officers, Aboriginal liaison officers, social workers, psychologists, correctional educators and administration and project staff for their professionalism, skill and compassion.

As we read through that list, we recognise that corrections in itself is a complex area. As the shadow minister for corrections, I am certainly very supportive of this motion. I know, since Corrections Day was recognised and instigated in New South Wales in 2017 and rolled out nationally in 2018, being the third Friday in January, it has been an important day in which we have taken the opportunity to recognise the valuable contribution of all frontline staff—that list that we have in the motion—who supervise offenders and keep our community safe.

As has already mentioned by some of my colleagues in previous words, it is an incredibly challenging space to be in and I have the utmost respect for staff who are involved in corrections because it is finding that fine balance, it is making sure that the decisions that are made in sentencing are carried out but it is also about recognising that you are working with individuals as offenders and each have their own challenges. As has already been pointed out by my colleague the member for Hammond, some of the circumstances behind the offending often add with them different layers and levels of challenges.

In South Australia, I know that we have a range of centres, corrections centres, and it is good to be able to recognise people who work in the corrections space in all of the centres: the Adelaide Pre-release Centre, the Adelaide Remand Centre, the Adelaide Women's Prison, the Cadell Training Centre, the Mobilong Prison, Mount Gambier Prison, the Port Augusta Prison, Port Lincoln Prison, and the Yatala Labour Prison, as well as the range of other victims services, community corrections services, offender development. As I said, there are many layers of responsibility in this space, and it is really important that we do recognise the hard work.

Those three words at the end of the motion in particular I want to highlight: their professionalism, their skill and their compassion. It is the balance between those three, I think, within this space, for the more than 2,000 staff who work in corrections. As has already been highlighted by my colleagues, it is often a dangerous space as well, and I have had conversations with people who work within corrections, and people who have previously worked in corrections, and some of the stories they have of the personal risk to their own lives, the harm that comes to some of the people who work within corrections and, as has been highlighted already, the 180 work claim injuries from last year just in itself highlights the dangerous nature of working within corrections.

It is also, I am sure, a rewarding space; I know the challenges of trying to negate youth offending are ongoing. Where there are youth offenders, getting them to a point where they can be functional members of society again, making sure they try to break that cycle and developing skills within these offenders so that when they have served their appointed time they can actually be members of the community again is work done by the workers within the corrections field. I have the utmost admiration for them, because I can be certain that it is not an easy task. To be working with all of those different individuals who are in their different headspaces and in their different stages of life is a massive ongoing challenge and, like I said, I give them my utmost respect and thanks.

This day that we are recognising through this motion is one which comes around every year. I think it is a really good point to be made that there are more than 2,000 staff who work within this space in South Australia to be recognised. It is not an area which mainstream society has much involvement with. Unless you are a family member of an offender or a family member of someone who works within corrections, you may not even consider the amount of time, effort and staff hours which are put into this space, so I will commend the motion to the house as the shadow minister for corrections and thank the member for Playford for bringing it forward.

Mr FULBROOK (Playford) (12:38): I want to thank my colleagues from the opposition for speaking in support of this motion that I have brought to the house. It is wonderful when the two main parties can speak as one on something so significant and, drawing on the fact that the member for Flinders just mentioned, this is a profession that is not something that is quite often out in the mainstream. It really does add a lot of value in that I felt that we were one in terms of our thinking and, with that in mind, it is much appreciated.

The member for Hammond reiterated his support for the staff, something that I spoke about, and also obviously the member for Flinders did exactly the same, and both backed in the difficulty of the profession, which is something that I think we all would agree upon.

I must say, I was impressed by the Mobilong project that makes the headstones for unmarked graves of veterans. It is something I was not aware of. Again, it reiterates the significance of the day, on the basis that it shines light onto something that, I must confess, I do not know as much as I would like to know about. So thank you, member for Hammond, for sharing that.

I would also like to convey my sentiments of congratulations to Chris Tilley, who was a finalist in the 2021 Veteran Employee of the Year. I think it is wonderful that we have such dedicated employees who are prepared to go that extra mile and establish a veterans' support group. Clearly, the event marks the need to consider reducing the rate of reoffending in society. I think that efforts like Mr Tilley's would go a long way to making sure that those within the system who do have a history within our defence forces are properly looked after, in the hope that when they do rejoin society they are able to do so in a way that makes them feel much more looked after than when they came in. So a big thank you.

Also to the member for Flinders, I think what I grabbed from your speech was the importance of recognising that while we lump them all together as prisoners, we are dealing with individuals. Individuals have their own individual needs, and therefore it is inappropriate to assume that you treat prisoners with a one-size-fits-all approach. I really appreciate the value that you have added to the debate on this particular front, and also the fact that you stressed that corrections is a dangerous profession and reminded the house that last year alone there were 118 WorkCover claims made by corrections officers. I really must say thank you for your contributions. With that in mind, I commend the motion to the house.

Motion carried.

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