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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-03-06 Daily Xml
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CORRECTIONAL SERVICES VOLUNTEERS

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN (15:14): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Correctional Services a question about Correctional Services volunteers.

Leave granted.

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN: I understand that the Department for Correctional Services has a number of volunteers who donate their time and energy to assist prisoners and offenders in the community. Will the minister provide some details of the department's volunteer support?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (15:15): The Department for Correctional Services is, indeed, fortunate enough to have a dedicated unit of about 95 volunteers coordinated out of the Port Adelaide community corrections centre. Our volunteers provide a valuable service to the correctional system. They offer a range of opportunities that add value to prisoner and offender case plans.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: It is a shame that the honourable member opposite is not interested in listening to what our volunteers do. Volunteers are also an important link between the department and the community. Over the past year, volunteers have been actively involved at seven prisons and 13 community correction centres right across our state. This translates to in excess of 8,300 hours volunteered to the department during the year. Volunteers assist prisoners and offenders with the preparation of resumes; transport them to job interviews, work, education and medical commitments; provide library, craft and educational programs; and transport prisoners' families to prisons for visits. The volunteer unit also works closely with community corrections centres to help with programs involving numeracy and literacy tuition; basic budgeting skills; learner's permit tuition; personal support and mentoring; transport to various counselling appointments; and involvement in the department's core programs.

During the time that I have been the minister, I have had the opportunity to meet many of these volunteers. Cases that come to mind are when we read in the paper that a particular person under home detention is required to undertake medical visits: a volunteer is involved in something like that. The crosses that have been put together (which I have previously spoken about) were produced at Elizabeth and transported to Point Pearce. Volunteers were involved in all of that. I was fortunate enough to visit the Edwardstown community corrections centre, which has a program for offenders with special needs, and the volunteers there are really tremendous people.

The volunteer unit continues to increase its participation in both community corrections and prisons in rural areas, with about 20 volunteers based outside the metropolitan area. Country volunteers are now located at Port Augusta, Port Pirie, Cadell, Berri and Murray Bridge, and there is a recently re-established unit of volunteers in the Mount Gambier region. Indeed, the level of volunteer inquiries has risen significantly this year, with the introduction of the Centrelink voluntary work initiative. It is anticipated that the level of inquiries for volunteer work generated through this initiative will only continue to grow as the program expands.

Last year, I had the great pleasure of attending the volunteers unit Christmas luncheon, where I presented 16 volunteers with long service award medals. The individual service awards ranged from five to 25 years of service to the department. I am pleased to say that this year 50 of the department's volunteers attended the Clipsal 500 at the invitation of the Premier. The day was a great success. I am advised that the volunteers have said that the day was fantastic and was appreciated by all who attended. I was pleased to have the opportunity to be there with them.

I am sure that honourable members will join me in thanking all the department's volunteers for their service to the community. As I said earlier, in the time that I have been the minister I have had the opportunity to meet many of them. I am sure all of us understand that public administration is a challenging area, in terms of the people who work in a paid capacity but, for those who are volunteers, it can sometimes be equally as challenging. Again, I appreciate their commitment to our community.

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