Elise Archer,Minister for Corrections and Rehabilitation
As Minister for Corrections and Rehabilitation, I remain committed to reducing recidivism rates of offenders by providing the safest possible corrections environment, with opportunities for rehabilitation.
This includes supporting the rehabilitation of females by acknowledging that they have different needs to those of male inmates, and that their rehabilitation must involve a trauma-informed, gender-focused response.
That is why, to further our commitment to best practice, trauma-informed guidelines are being developed by the Tasmania Prison Service (TPS) including a review of the current classification system for the Mary Hutchinson Women’s Prison.
The classification system determines how an inmate is accommodated and how they are individually managed while in custody. However, this system is currently uniform for all inmates across the TPS, and does not take into account the different requirements specific to women.
The review will ensure the TPS has a gender-sensitive classification system that will take into account the very low risk most female inmates pose to others, and the particularly harmful effects high security measures and increased levels of isolation can have upon them.
In addition to this, staff working within the Mary Hutchinson Women’s Prison will receive specific training in relation to supporting female inmates, with a strong focus on trauma-informed practice and an emphasis on dynamic security. Upon completion of this training, these staff will be considered ‘specialists’ in managing female inmates, and will be equipped with all the tools and information required to operate within a contemporary women’s correctional facility environment.
I look forward to seeing the outcomes of this review as well as the staff training that will complement increased investment in rehabilitation and trauma-informed care.
