❓ Question regarding the New Horizons program, a partnership between Swan Districts Football Club and the Department of Corrective Services, and its impact on prisoner skill development, personal growth, and reoffending prevention. The Minister's response highlights the program's success and related initiatives.
AnsweredQoN 634Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORRECTIVE
SERVICES — NEW HORIZONS PROGRAM
634. Ms A.R. MITCHELL to the Minister for Corrective
Services:
I am always interested in innovative ways that sport can be
used to address unique and challenging social issues. I am also aware of the
New Horizons program between Swan Districts Football Club and the Department of
Corrective Services. Can the minister please update the house on how this
program will develop skills and personal development and prevent reoffending
among prisoners? I tried to take as long as I could to give the minister a
chance to get his notes!
SERVICES — NEW HORIZONS PROGRAM
634. Ms A.R. MITCHELL to the Minister for Corrective
Services:
I am always interested in innovative ways that sport can be
used to address unique and challenging social issues. I am also aware of the
New Horizons program between Swan Districts Football Club and the Department of
Corrective Services. Can the minister please update the house on how this
program will develop skills and personal development and prevent reoffending
among prisoners? I tried to take as long as I could to give the minister a
chance to get his notes!
AnswerView source ↗
Thank you, member for Kingsley. I suggest all members in this
house and perhaps even those who are watching from outside this house keep an
eye on the ABC for a five-part program that will deal with, if you like, the
great contribution this initiative at Wooroloo Prison has had in conjunction
with Swan Districts Football Club. I would like to put on record that I
acknowledge the great work Swan Districts Football Club has done in this space.
For those who do not know, the Swan Districts Football Club has set up a
program called the V Swans New Horizons program, a personal development program
run by the Department of Corrective Services in partnership with the Swan
Districts Football Club for detainees at Banksia Hill and the adult prisoners
at Wooroloo.
Those of us in this place, the member for Wagin, the Premier
and others who have dabbled in a bit of sport from time to time will know that
it is about not only winning and losing but also the lessons learnt and what
that brings to the community. Those of us from regional Western Australia are
probably more aware that regional towns and communities revolve around the
importance of having community. The lessons learnt from sport are well known.
We have seen great examples of that under the Gerard Neesham program at
Clontarf, and there are a host of other programs. The key issue with Wooroloo
is a bit of a riches to rags to riches story that will be detailed on that ABC
program. It will detail the rise and fall and rise again of Andrew Krakouer . Andrew went from being in
prison one year to being in a premiership and to a Simpson medallist in the
Swan Districts grand final team two years ago.
Mr C.J. Barnett :
It cost Claremont the flag!
Mr M.J. COWPER : It
did. That is also why they should be commended. Anyone who beats Claremont
should be commended. Of course, the following year he was picked up in the
draft and represented Collingwood—the colours are unfortunate. I know
the member for Albany was very pleased because Andrew Krakouer was originally from Mt Barker, I
believe.
Mr P.B. Watson interjected.
Mr M.J. COWPER : He
went to the AFL's greatest stage, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and won
another flag. The television program will go back and look at the importance of
relying on one another in a team environment so we can get a net outcome. They
will take that into life skills.
We have numerous other programs, including the one at
Fairbridge that I have mentioned in this place before, where there is
collaboration between Bis Industries, Fairbridge Western Australia and the
Department of Corrective Services to provide Aboriginal people currently
engaged in the criminal justice system with industry training and support. Big
corporate industries such as WesTrac have come on board and put in place
simulators. Fifteen graduates have gone into this program, of which seven so
far have been employed and others are finishing their sentences and will go
into jobs. As we well know, if we can get people in the prison system employed,
the chances of their returning to the system is reduced.
It is interesting to look at the prisoner participation in
the prison system across Western Australia. I have another graph—I know
members are getting excited—that demonstrates the prisoner
participation in prison-based systems and the completion rates across Western
Australia. In red are the years 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10,
2010–11 and 2011–12 and so on.
Several members interjected.
Mr M.J. COWPER : It
also demonstrates, if you like, continuity between the two portfolios I hold,
Corrective Services and the Department of Training and Workforce Development.
Several members interjected.
Mr M.J. COWPER : We
are committed to putting people —
The SPEAKER : I
formally call you to order for the first time today, member for Mandurah.
Member for Girrawheen, I do not need to hear you continually interjecting.
Minister, I hope you are close to the end of your answer.
Mr M.J. COWPER :
Good news just keeps rolling on, Mr Speaker. We have some great programs, some
of which I would like to see perpetuated, and I can report to the house —
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the first time today and member for
Mandurah for the second time today.
Mr M.J. COWPER : I
can report to the house that a number of other programs are in the brewing pot,
if you like, and are things we want to perpetuate across Western Australia.
house and perhaps even those who are watching from outside this house keep an
eye on the ABC for a five-part program that will deal with, if you like, the
great contribution this initiative at Wooroloo Prison has had in conjunction
with Swan Districts Football Club. I would like to put on record that I
acknowledge the great work Swan Districts Football Club has done in this space.
For those who do not know, the Swan Districts Football Club has set up a
program called the V Swans New Horizons program, a personal development program
run by the Department of Corrective Services in partnership with the Swan
Districts Football Club for detainees at Banksia Hill and the adult prisoners
at Wooroloo.
Those of us in this place, the member for Wagin, the Premier
and others who have dabbled in a bit of sport from time to time will know that
it is about not only winning and losing but also the lessons learnt and what
that brings to the community. Those of us from regional Western Australia are
probably more aware that regional towns and communities revolve around the
importance of having community. The lessons learnt from sport are well known.
We have seen great examples of that under the Gerard Neesham program at
Clontarf, and there are a host of other programs. The key issue with Wooroloo
is a bit of a riches to rags to riches story that will be detailed on that ABC
program. It will detail the rise and fall and rise again of Andrew Krakouer . Andrew went from being in
prison one year to being in a premiership and to a Simpson medallist in the
Swan Districts grand final team two years ago.
Mr C.J. Barnett :
It cost Claremont the flag!
Mr M.J. COWPER : It
did. That is also why they should be commended. Anyone who beats Claremont
should be commended. Of course, the following year he was picked up in the
draft and represented Collingwood—the colours are unfortunate. I know
the member for Albany was very pleased because Andrew Krakouer was originally from Mt Barker, I
believe.
Mr P.B. Watson interjected.
Mr M.J. COWPER : He
went to the AFL's greatest stage, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and won
another flag. The television program will go back and look at the importance of
relying on one another in a team environment so we can get a net outcome. They
will take that into life skills.
We have numerous other programs, including the one at
Fairbridge that I have mentioned in this place before, where there is
collaboration between Bis Industries, Fairbridge Western Australia and the
Department of Corrective Services to provide Aboriginal people currently
engaged in the criminal justice system with industry training and support. Big
corporate industries such as WesTrac have come on board and put in place
simulators. Fifteen graduates have gone into this program, of which seven so
far have been employed and others are finishing their sentences and will go
into jobs. As we well know, if we can get people in the prison system employed,
the chances of their returning to the system is reduced.
It is interesting to look at the prisoner participation in
the prison system across Western Australia. I have another graph—I know
members are getting excited—that demonstrates the prisoner
participation in prison-based systems and the completion rates across Western
Australia. In red are the years 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10,
2010–11 and 2011–12 and so on.
Several members interjected.
Mr M.J. COWPER : It
also demonstrates, if you like, continuity between the two portfolios I hold,
Corrective Services and the Department of Training and Workforce Development.
Several members interjected.
Mr M.J. COWPER : We
are committed to putting people —
The SPEAKER : I
formally call you to order for the first time today, member for Mandurah.
Member for Girrawheen, I do not need to hear you continually interjecting.
Minister, I hope you are close to the end of your answer.
Mr M.J. COWPER :
Good news just keeps rolling on, Mr Speaker. We have some great programs, some
of which I would like to see perpetuated, and I can report to the house —
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the first time today and member for
Mandurah for the second time today.
Mr M.J. COWPER : I
can report to the house that a number of other programs are in the brewing pot,
if you like, and are things we want to perpetuate across Western Australia.
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