Vocational education and training provision and recidivism in Queensland correctional institutions
This project investigates the nature of vocational education and training (VET) programs being delivered in correctional centres, including the factors assisting or hindering the delivery of these programs to prisoners. The research also statistically determines the factors most associated with reducing the rates of return to prison of offenders. A brief review of past research was undertaken and interviews with those involved in the corrections system were conducted. As well, various databases were examined to investigate the factors most associated with offender recidivism. The first part of this report provides a review of Australian and other research into the nature of offenders, and in particular, the links between reduced rates of offender recidivism and access to education, training and employment programs at the prerelease and post-release stages. This is followed by a discussion of the findings from 145 interviews with correctional staff, prisoners and trainers in several Queensland correctional centres. Interviews examined staff and prisoner perceptions of the factors facilitating or acting as barriers to the provision of VET programs in correctional institutions. The final section of this report uses quantitative methods to examine the characteristics of offenders who become involved in VET while in prison, and their recidivism rates. The research found highly motivated offenders engaging in and completing multiple VET programs which were not only providing them with technical skills, but which also improved confidence, self-esteem, and broader sets of generic skills. They were very positive about the role that prison staff and trainers were playing in assisting them to develop skills to help them to re-integrate back into the community upon release. The availability and access to dedicated training workshops in correctional centres as well as to outside trainers (and in some cases, tutors) who were highly professional and respectful of prisoner needs, and their often disadvantaged backgrounds, were further supports for the continued emergence of a throughcare approach to prisoner management. Significant evidence emerged from the analyses explaining the importance of pursuing a more integrated program which develops employment skills is that offenders involved in VET were less likely to return to the corrective system. On average, being involved in VET before initial release was associated with a decrease in the chance of returning.
Women prisoners and correctional programs
This paper discusses trends in the incarceration of women and intervention programs available to women in prison. The data demonstrate that incarceration rates for women have been increasing over the last decade and that women are often imprisoned for property, violence and drug offences. Correctional facilities in Australia, in common with many other jurisdictions, administer programs that address offending behaviour. Such programs, especially those dealing with behavioural and drug issues, are vital if prisons are to reduce recidivism. Currently, there is considerable interest and creativity in the design and delivery of interventions for prisoners with drug abuse problems. However, although women are often unemployed at the time of incarceration and tend to be poorly educated, comparatively little attention is paid to employment and education programs. Engagement in education and employment are important for reducing recidivism. This paper examines drug intervention programs and employment and education programs for women and finds that they are often delivered without consideration of their effectiveness. Adam Graycar Director In any examination of women prisoners, the first point to note is that they constitute a small percentage of the total number of people incarcerated in Australia. In 1999, women constituted only about six per cent of the sentenced prison population.1 Although few, the number of incarcerated women has been steadily increasing. Table 1 shows the increase in the number of sentenced women incarcerated in the 1990s. In 1991, 607 women were incarcerated. In 1999 this had almost doubled to 1,124 (an 85 per cent increase).2 In 1991, 9.2 women per 100,000 were imprisoned compared with 15.3 per 100,000 in 1999. As a rate per 100,000 of the population, the increase is about 66 per cent. The incarceration of women has occurred at a faster rate than it has for men. The population of sentenced men incarcerated has increased from 12,429 in 1991 to 17,208 in 1999. This constitutes an increase of about 38 per cent. The men's rate per 100,000 has increased from 194 to 240.5 (a 24 per cent increase). The increase in the imprisonment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) sentenced women has been much greater over the period compared with other women. Non- ATSI women have increased in population from 503 in 1991 to 851 in 1999, representing a 60 per cent increase. The rate has increased over this period from 7.8 to 11.8 per 100,000, representing about a 50 per cent increase. In comparison, and it should be kept in mind that the number is very low, the number of ATSI women incarcerated has increased from 104 in 1991 to 273 in 1999, an increase of 150 per cent.6 The rate per 100,000 has doubled, from 103.9 per 100,000 to 206.5 per 100,000, and is now close to the rate for all men. Table 2 examines the distribution of sentenced women imprisoned by Australian States and the levels of previous imprisonment. The numbers of women range from 17 (two of whom are ATSI) held in Tasmania, to 466 (86 of whom are ATSI) held in New South Wales prisons. In Western Australia and the Northern Territory, ATSI women constitute half and twothirds, respectively, of the sentenced women. Previous imprisonment rates are an indication of recidivism, although offenders may re-enter prison for reasons unrelated to a prior offence. Nevertheless, the figures are important as they may indicate prisons' achievements in rehabilitating offenders. About 45 per cent of all women prisoners, and about 70 per cent of ATSI women prisoners, have been incarcerated previously. There appears to be room to focus on the women prisoners' offending and background with a view to effective interventions. The major categories under which men and women are incarcerated are violent, property and drug offences. Violent offences include homicide, assault, sexual offences and robbery. Property offences include breaking, entering and stealing, fraud and misappropriation, and receiving stolen goods. …
ADDICTED WOMEN AND CRIME
The relationship between women's narcotics use and crime is examined among Anglo and Chicana methadone maintenance clients. Three types of analyses are employed: (1) the temporal ordering between narcotics involvement and criminal activities: (2) comparisons of crime levels before and after critical events in the addiction career including narcotic initiation, addiction, last daily use, first treatment entry, and first treatment discharge; and (3) crime levels as a function of increasing narcotics use. Women in this study demonstrate extensive criminal involvement and some also engage in dealing and/or prostitution. Property crime activities precede the addiction career for many women but, once addicted, the amount of property crime committed appears to be generally regulated by narcotics use levels. After the addiction career, property crime decreases substantially. Chicanas, in general, display higher baseline pretreatment criminal activity and show fewer changes in crime levels than Anglo women in reaction to events such as treatment or termination of addiction career.