❓ The Minister for Corrective Services provides an update on programs designed to enhance training and job opportunities for Aboriginal people leaving prison, highlighting the Carey Bindjareb program and the Yirra Djinda pilot program.
AnsweredQoN 858Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ABORIGINAL PRISONERS — POST-RELEASE PROGRAMS
858. Mr P. LILBURNE to the Minister for Corrective Services:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to working in partnership with Aboriginal Western
Australians in delivering more employment and economic opportunities. Can the
minister update the house on the work underway to enhance training and job
opportunities for Aboriginal people leaving prison?
858. Mr P. LILBURNE to the Minister for Corrective Services:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to working in partnership with Aboriginal Western
Australians in delivering more employment and economic opportunities. Can the
minister update the house on the work underway to enhance training and job
opportunities for Aboriginal people leaving prison?
AnswerView source ↗
I
want to thank the high-quality member for Carine, who was so resoundingly endorsed
by his community in March this year, for being able to join us to
provide quality representation for the people of Carine here in the Parliament.
Several members interjected.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I am sure
that they are all very pleased to see that happening.
Mr T.J. Healy : Could you
expand on that, please?
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I probably
could, but the Speaker probably will not let me.
In May this year, I was very pleased
to go to Karnet Prison Farm to mark the graduation of 12 men from the Carey Bindjareb program run at Karnet Prison Farm,
which has had an 80 per cent success rate in getting Aboriginal men
exiting prison into work. On Friday, I was pleased to attend the launch of the
Yirra Djinda prison-to-work pilot program at Boronia Pre-release Centre for
Women. This is an exciting opportunity to help Aboriginal women prisoners leaving Boronia to transition to work as
they leave. This program aspires to assist 50 women over the next two years, and the first 12 were there last
Friday. The program provides lessons in Aboriginal language, and support and mentoring from Aboriginal leaders, as well as industry qualified trainers
who provide industry-relevant training to these women.
When people leave prison, it is a point
of transition that is invariably a big challenge and, of course, having a job
and income is very empowering to people who are leaving prison. It helps them
to get their lives back on track. We know
that many prisoners have limited education and work experience. Many have
struggled with drug addiction , mental illness and other health
challenges. Indeed, about two-thirds of women prisoners have suffered domestic violence prior to their incarceration and, of
course, Aboriginal women are obviously also the victims of intergenerational trauma and the post-colonial experience that they are going through. The
prison-to-work program Yirra Djinda, which
means rising stars, will provide women support with training while in their
pre-release period as well as six months' post-release support
to help them stay in work and to adjust to work in the broader community. The
program was developed by the Department of Justice. I acknowledge the support
of the National Indigenous Australians Agency and acknowledge the commonwealth
government's half funding this project. I hope that the commonwealth
government will not stop funding it at the end of those two years and that the
federal government is committed to Aboriginal people here in Western Australia
and will continue the funding beyond the two years if the program proves successful. I also want to thank the businesses
that support the project, including Carey Mining , Crown Resorts, Ngalla Maya,
the Wungening Aboriginal Corporation and the Wirrpanda Foundation for their
support and engagement.
These
women were very engaging and some of the powerful speeches given at the
graduation were quite remarkable. Very, very strong women are
participating in the program. I wished them well personally on Friday and I want
to put on record here in Parliament my best
wishes for their success as they transition back into the broader community.
want to thank the high-quality member for Carine, who was so resoundingly endorsed
by his community in March this year, for being able to join us to
provide quality representation for the people of Carine here in the Parliament.
Several members interjected.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I am sure
that they are all very pleased to see that happening.
Mr T.J. Healy : Could you
expand on that, please?
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I probably
could, but the Speaker probably will not let me.
In May this year, I was very pleased
to go to Karnet Prison Farm to mark the graduation of 12 men from the Carey Bindjareb program run at Karnet Prison Farm,
which has had an 80 per cent success rate in getting Aboriginal men
exiting prison into work. On Friday, I was pleased to attend the launch of the
Yirra Djinda prison-to-work pilot program at Boronia Pre-release Centre for
Women. This is an exciting opportunity to help Aboriginal women prisoners leaving Boronia to transition to work as
they leave. This program aspires to assist 50 women over the next two years, and the first 12 were there last
Friday. The program provides lessons in Aboriginal language, and support and mentoring from Aboriginal leaders, as well as industry qualified trainers
who provide industry-relevant training to these women.
When people leave prison, it is a point
of transition that is invariably a big challenge and, of course, having a job
and income is very empowering to people who are leaving prison. It helps them
to get their lives back on track. We know
that many prisoners have limited education and work experience. Many have
struggled with drug addiction , mental illness and other health
challenges. Indeed, about two-thirds of women prisoners have suffered domestic violence prior to their incarceration and, of
course, Aboriginal women are obviously also the victims of intergenerational trauma and the post-colonial experience that they are going through. The
prison-to-work program Yirra Djinda, which
means rising stars, will provide women support with training while in their
pre-release period as well as six months' post-release support
to help them stay in work and to adjust to work in the broader community. The
program was developed by the Department of Justice. I acknowledge the support
of the National Indigenous Australians Agency and acknowledge the commonwealth
government's half funding this project. I hope that the commonwealth
government will not stop funding it at the end of those two years and that the
federal government is committed to Aboriginal people here in Western Australia
and will continue the funding beyond the two years if the program proves successful. I also want to thank the businesses
that support the project, including Carey Mining , Crown Resorts, Ngalla Maya,
the Wungening Aboriginal Corporation and the Wirrpanda Foundation for their
support and engagement.
These
women were very engaging and some of the powerful speeches given at the
graduation were quite remarkable. Very, very strong women are
participating in the program. I wished them well personally on Friday and I want
to put on record here in Parliament my best
wishes for their success as they transition back into the broader community.
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