Build Communities Not Prisons Campaign 'Justice Reinvestment'

Build Communities Not Prisons Our current criminal justice system is broken and needs to be fixed...

  • "In Western Australia, Aboriginal people are 20 times more likely to be in prison than non-Aboriginal people and around one in 15 Aboriginal men in Western Australia will be in prison at any given time..."
  • "The risks to prisoners and prison staff are increasing as a result of increased overcrowding. These risks include risks to control and staff and prisoner safety; risks to decency in the treatment of prisoners; and risks to the community if prisons cannot fulfil their rehabilitative role..."

A Public Meeting was held on 27 January 2010 to mark the 2nd anniversary of the death in custody of Mr Ward which was very successful in initiating a grass roots campaign around the current prison overcrowding crisis and implementation of a strategy of 'Justice Reinvestment'.

A diverse range of people came together to say that our current criminal justice system is broken and needs to be fixed!

All speakers recognised that the growth in our prison population is unsustainable. The Prison population is currently 4,750 and growing at 24 per week (Nov 2009). It costs currently $100,000 per year per prisoner / 1 Million per year for every ten prisoners.

The risks to prisoners and prison staff are increasing as a result of increased overcrowding. These risks include risks to control and staff and prisoner safety; risks to decency in the treatment of prisoners; and risks to the community if prisons cannot fulfil their rehabilitative role.

In Western Australia, Aboriginal people are 20 times more likely to be in prison than non-Aboriginal people and around one in 15 Aboriginal men in Western Australia will be in prison at any given time.

On the 8th October 2009 of the 4,750 prison population there were 1,909 Aboriginal People in the State’s Prisons. Of them, 1,732 were men and 177 women. The total number of Aboriginal people in prison had more than doubled in 7 years from 800 in mid 2002 to over 1900 in 2009

– An increase of 137% -

Over the past decade there has been inadequate planning for the increasing prison numbers. Years of successive government under investment in our justice system have left the Western Australian prison system seriously underfunded and unable to keep up effectively with increased demand.

The rising rate of imprisonment does not simply reflect higher crime rates. A comprehensive, rational and more bipartisan approach to law and order issues is required to lower the incarceration rate, particularly for Aboriginal people and juveniles and bring down the growth in prisoner numbers to a more workable, sustainable and most importantly ‘humane’ level.

The State owes a duty of care to those in its custody which is derived from common law legislation. There are also a number of international covenants and other standards which apply either directly or indirectly to the treatment and conditions of people detained or in custody.

Article 7 of The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights requires that: ‘...no one shall be subject to cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment’.

Where is the government, G4S or the police in explaining their significant roles to play in the treatment and subsequent death in custody of Aboriginal Elder Mr Ward? Two years on the family and community are still waiting for answers!

Support the Deaths in Custody Watch Committee (WA) Inc’s campaign to:

“Build Communities Not Prisons”

Contact us today via e-mail and join the campaign for change!

TOPICS OF INTEREST

WHAT IS JUSTICE REINVESTMENT?

Justice reinvestment is a localised criminal justice policy approach that diverts a portion of the funds for imprisonment to local communities where there is a high concentration of offenders. The money that would have been spent on imprisonment is reinvested in programs and services in communities where these issues are most acute, in order to address the underlying causes of crime in those communities.

Justice reinvestment still retains prison as a measure for dangerous and serious offenders but actively shifts the culture away from imprisonment and starts providing wide services that prevent offending.

Justice reinvestment was developed in the US where over ten states now adopt its practice. Both Democrat and Republican states have joined the program. It is an evidenced based approach to reduce corrections spending and re-invest savings in strategies that can decrease crime and strengthen communities.

LOCATION OF OFFENDERS

A 2007 report by Prof Tony Vinson (Dropping off the edge: the distribution of disadvantage in Australia) found that 3% of Australia’s postcodes account for a disproportionate amount of disadvantage including imprisonment.

Compared to other areas, the 3% of most disadvantaged post codes has at least twice the rate of unemployment; criminal convictions; imprisonment; child maltreatment; disability support recipients; and psychiatric admissions.

The conclusion is that we ought to prioritise these areas, to have the biggest impact on reducing crime and thereby tackling social disadvantage.

FACTS AND FIGURES

WA prisons are dangerously overcrowded, recidivism (re-offending) rates are high, with over representation of the Aboriginal community.

  • As at 30 June 2006, 3.8% of all people in Western Australia were Aboriginal (ABS, 2006). 
  • In April 2010 one thousand eight hundred and ninety one (1891), or 39.4% of all incarcerated adults in Western Australia were Aboriginal. 
  • In addition there were one hundred and forty one (141) juveniles in custody which represented 72.5% of all juveniles in custody (Dept of Corrections, April 2010). 
  • That is almost two thousand Aboriginal people incarcerated in April 2010.  These figures are not a one off; they represent the status quo in our Western Australian prisons.
  • Almost four in every ten adults and more than seven out of ten juveniles who are imprisoned are consistently Aboriginal, yet not quite four in one hundred Western Australians are Aboriginal.

The increase in imprisonment expenditure has not led to better community safety outcomes. The growing cost of imprisonment, coupled with a limited impact on crime and recidivism rates, again raises the question of whether the present policies are working. It is clear that the present growth rates in the WA prison population are unsustainable.

The WA Prison population was 4,750 and growing at 24 per week (Draft Report – A Thematic Review of Overcrowding in Prisons, November 2009).

The cost of keeping someone in custody is approximately $100,000 per year per prisoner, or $1 Million per year for every ten prisoners. WA is the second highest to the NT in imprisonment rates in Australia.

WA imprisonment rates per hundred thousand are higher than China, Canada, Italy, Germany, Indonesia, India and many others. In 2006 Australia had an incarceration rate of 126 per 100000, it is now 162.6, but in WA it is an incredible 234.6.

The risks to prisoners and prison staff are increasing as a result of increased overcrowding. These risks include risks to control and staff and prisoner safety; risks to decency in the treatment of prisoners; and risks to the community when prisons cannot fulfil their rehabilitative role.

ABORIGINAL IMPRISONMENT

In WA, Aboriginal people are 20 times more likely to be in prison than non-Aboriginal people and around one in 15 Aboriginal men in Western Australia will be in prison at any given time.

  • On the 8th October 2009, of the 4,750 prison population there were 1,909 Aboriginal People in the State’s prisons. Of them, 1,732 were men and 177 women.
  • Up to 2002 Aboriginal people constituted around 30-32 % of the States prison population.
  • From 2002 to 2005 this has increased to over 40%.
  • The total number of Aboriginal people in prison had more than doubled in 7 years from 800 in mid 2002 to over 1900 in 2009 - An increase of 137%!
  • WA has the highest imprisonment rate of Aboriginal people by far compared with all other states and territories.

A SNAPSHOT OF JUSTICE REINVESTMENT IN USA

Texas

Over 2008 and 2009 Texas saved $210.5 m through not having to enlarge imprisonment capacity. Additional savings of $233.4m stood to be made if the programs prevented the need for additional prison reconstruction. Since the introduction (in this right wing Republican stronghold) of JR in the last two years, the Texas prison population has stopped growing for the first time in decades. It is projected to decrease slightly in the following year.

Kansas

Kansas has experienced a 7.5% reduction in its prison population from 2004 levels. The parole revocation (offences committed when on parole) rate is down 48% and parole absconders are down 70%. The reconviction rate for parolees also dropped by 35%, signalling that new measures to improve the quality of parole and probation services, as well as the availability of substance abuse treatment, are reducing crime.

KEY STEPS TO IMPLEMENTING A JUSTICE REINVESTMENT APPROACH

Step 1:

Analysis and Mapping

The first step is identifying where the offenders are coming from and then calculating how much is being spent in these areas on imprisonment. This leads to detailed demographic and socio-economic data mapping that shows in a very precise way just how much is being spent on imprisonment for certain communities.

Step 2:

Development of options to generate savings and improve local communities

Once the communities are identified, the next step is to look at ways to save imprisonment costs so funds can be re-spent in the community. For example the money is diverted to better alcohol and drug treatment, housing options and general community based alternatives.

These options may be different in different communities. For example in Texas money was spent on 800 new beds in substance abuse treatment for those on probation, 3000 more places in outpatient substance abuse treatment for people on probation, 300 new beds in half-way houses, 500 new beds for an in-prison treatment unit for drink driving offences, 1200 new places in intensive substance abuse treatment programs in prison.

Step 3:

Quantify savings and reinvestment in high needs communities

Based on the information gathered in the previous two steps, it is possible to project savings based on reductions in imprisonment spending. Savings can then be put towards the services and projects identified by communities.

Step 4:

Measure and evaluate impact

Justice reinvestment approaches are evidence based and measure performance outcomes such as the amount of imprisonment money saved; reduction in imprisonment; reduction in recidivism; and indicators of community well being and capacity.

CONCLUSION

We believe if justice reinvestment is adopted in WA then we would see a significant reduction in crime, a reduction in the imprisonment rate, a reduction in indigenous incarceration, and a big improvement in the living standards of the most disadvantaged in our society.

Poverty is not a crime. Poverty should not be considered as a crime. We want to see the building of communities and not prisons. We would ask all members of the community to discuss these alternatives.

Contact Details

For further information OR to attend a community forum, contact: Mick Suter on 0410 059 693 or e-mail mickpsuter@gmail.com