INTERVENTIONS FOR PRISONERS RETURNING TO THE COMMUNITY
Contents
Overview
Credits
Figures & Tables
Abbreviations
Acknowlegements
PART A: A LITERATURE REVIEW
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1 INTRODUCTION
Prisoners and Imprisonment
The Purpose of Imprisonment
Prisoners in Australia
The Outcomes of Imprisonment
The Relevance of Post-Release Services to Prisoners
Stakeholders in the Delivery of Services to Prisoners
2 DEFINING POST-RELEASE SERVICES
Terminology Surrounding Prisoner Return
Important Concepts in the Design of Post-Release Services
Defining Post-Release
Defining the Client
Defining Rehabilitation
Defining the Desired Outcome of Interventions
Clarifying Post-Release Service Delivery
3 MODELS OF POST-RELEASE AND THROUGHCARE SERVICE DELIVERY
Fundamental Correctional Ethos
A New Criminal Justice Ethos: A Corrections of Place
System Wide Service Delivery
Continuum of Care
Intervening Early
Surveillance and Support
Case Management
Partnerships
Risk Assessment
Evidence-Based Corrections and Accreditation
Examples of System Wide Responses to Returning Prisoners
Specific Services and Programs
Principles of Effective Correctional Programming
Criticisms of the Principles Approach to Correctional Programming
4 WHY ARE POST-RELEASE SERVICES NECESSARY? THE CHALLENGE OF PRISONER RE-ENTRY
Challenges Confronting Prisoners
Long-Term Challenges
Issues at the Point of Release
Collateral Effects of Imprisonment
Collateral Consequences of Imprisonment Upon Individuals
Community Collateral Consequences
The Challenges Confronting Australian Prisoners
The Special Needs of Subgroups of Prisoners
5 THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THROUGHCARE AND POST-RELEASE SERVICES
Interventions to Address Specific Offender Risks, Needs, and Challenges
Addressing Unemployment
Addressing Educational and Vocational Shortfalls
Addressing Accommodation Issues
Addressing Alcohol and Other Drug Issues
Addressing Institutionalisation
Addressing Special Needs Prisoners
Challenges to the Implementation of Throughcare and Post-Release Services
Inter-Agency Working
Human Resource Management
Working with a Prisoner Population
Research and Evaluation Needs
The Investigative ‘Gold Standard’
Process and Outcome Evaluation
Important Questions to be Investigated
Specific Research Issues for Australia
6 APPENDIX A
Characterising Australian Prisoners
Sources of Information on Australian Prisoners
7 REFERENCES
PART B: A SURVEY OF AUSTRALIAN SERVICES
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1 INTRODUCTION
Background
The Current Project
Issues Relating to Post-Release Interventions
2 A SURVEY OF POST-RELEASE SERVICES
Gathering Information About Post-Release Interventions
3 THE NATURE OF SERVICES AVAILABLE TO PRISONERS IN AUSTRALIA
General Characteristics of Post-Release Service Provision
Types of Prisoners Targeted by Specific Programs
Characteristics of Interventions
Evaluations of Interventions
4 CONCLUSIONS
Policy Directions in Australian Corrections
Main Findings
Conclusions
5 APPENDIX A
The Questionnaire Distributed to Australian Service Providers
6 APPENDIX B
Organisations involved in the Delivery of Surveyed Post-Release Interventions in Australia