Page 5965 - Week 14 - Thursday, 8 December 2011
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MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Hargreaves.
MR HARGREAVES: As a former minister for corrections, I am interested in what other programs are offered at the AMC to assist prisoners in their rehabilitation.
DR BOURKE: I thank Mr Hargreaves for his question. There is a host of programs that address rehabilitation of detainees at the AMC. This includes education, which has been provided by the contract Auswide since the commencement of operations at the AMC. The Auswide contract was renegotiated in July 2011 and refocused to target delivery of literacy and numeracy for detainees.
Recently rehabilitation has also been achieved through regular employment. There are a range of internal employment and training options in place at the AMC, with a particular focus on hospitality and horticulture. Hospitality skills and training are provided through the AMC kitchen barista training, facilitated by the detainee-staffed cafe in the AMC business centre. Detainees also work in the laundry, stores and the library. Detainees in the AMC’s transitional release centre are able to take up work experience opportunities in the community.
A third wing of this rehabilitation process is specific programs. These programs are provided directly by ACT Corrective Services staff or in partnership with other organisations such as Karralika or directly by other agencies. Aside from the therapeutic community, other programs which target offending behaviour include sex offender programs, family violence programs and cognitive self-change programs.
Some programs provided by third party organisations include alcoholics anonymous, narcotics anonymous and the shine for kids program. Shine for kids is an innovative program designed to break the intergenerational cycle of offending by providing support to children, young people and families affected by parental involvement in the criminal justice system. The program outcomes include opportunities for children to meet with their detained parent or parents so that feelings of isolation, stigma and shame are reduced.
Ms Gallagher: I ask that all further questions be placed on the notice paper.
Supplementary answers to questions without notice
Planning—Molonglo valley
MR CORBELL: Mr Speaker, in question time today Ms Le Couteur asked me whether the ACT submission to the commonwealth in relation to the proposed statement of national environmental significance for the Molonglo valley was publicly available. I can advise Ms Le Couteur that there is no ACT submission as such; instead the ACT submits its NES plan with a covering letter for the commonwealth’s consideration and endorsement, so that is the ACT government’s submission, the proposed NES plan. The ACT NES plan has been approved and it is on both the commonwealth’s and the Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate’s websites.
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