Crisis in NSW women's prisons:
Coalition calls for action
A coalition of community organisations is preparing a campaign for the rights of women prisoners in NSW. Those involved include CRC Justice Support, Children of Prisoners, Positive Justice Centre, Prisoners' Aid Association, Indigenous Justice Association. They have made the following call for action: The Carr Government and NSW Department of Corrective Services have proposed the expenditure of $42 million to construct an additional 300-bed women's prison in Windsor, south of Sydney. This approach to women's imprisonment policy violates Government and NSW Labor Party commitments as well as the recommendations of task force and parliamentary reports since 1984, which have maintained the necessity of reducing the number of women held in prison. We insist that the construction of the prison be stopped and that the budgeted monies be diverted to implement those alternate commitments and recommendations. We seek your active support and assistance. There are currently around 430 women in prisons in NSW. In March 1998 there were only 290 women in prison. The overall NSW prison population increased at a rate of over 12 per cent in the last year. The rate of growth of women's incarceration significantly exceeds that of men. The vast majority of women are imprisoned for non-violent crimes. While over the past decade the number and percentage of women on remand has risen significantly, the number and rate of Indigenous women in prison has risen even more alarmingly. Indigenous women now make up some 23 per cent of women prisoners. This explosive growth is unacceptable given the recommendations of the 1985 Report of the Task Force on Women in Prison, the NSW Labor Party policy of 1995 and the Report of the Children of Imprisoned Parents Inquiry 1998, which all maintained the necessity of reducing the number of women held in prison. The Department of Corrective Services, and thus the Government, is responding to this rise in prison numbers and the subsequent overcrowding by proposing yet more prison beds. This is precisely the wrong response. Such a move would entrench the incarceration of women for non-violent, mainly addiction-related offences. This is at odds with research findings, reviews and expert opinion in the justice field which have recognised the futility of imprisoning women who do not pose a threat to the community. Recidivism is high (prison does not deter), women are not rehabilitated from drug addictions, families are irreparably damaged and the costs to the community, the women and their families are enormous. It costs $40,000-50,000 to keep a woman in prison for a year, the same again for her children who may be made state wards or end up in juvenile detention (not an uncommon occurrence) and thousands of dollars in state support — housing, health and benefits — when she is released. There is a better way With the current crisis and proposals to build yet more prisons, we believe that this is the moment for the Government to take positive and decisive action, in line with its prison policy, which would earn it praise for its social and economic benefits. A decisive and immediate community response is essential and must be achieved in the next two months. 1) No new prisons to be built for women. 2) Sentencing legislation to be amended in accordance with Labor Party policy to dramatically reduce those given short-term prison sentences. 3) Women who are currently serving short sentences for non-violent offences be reviewed for housing in the community in a variety of programs according to their major need (e.g. drug centre, Aboriginal-run healing centre, etc), with their children where appropriate. 4) Provide more resources to allow for home detention. 5) Provide bail houses, particularly for Indigenous women. We have sought urgent and immediate meetings with relevant Government Ministers. You or your organisation could: distribute information; write letters, send faxes, e-mails; contact media organisations; provide logistic support; donate financial assistance. Please let us know if you are willing to endorse this campaign. Call or fax any of the following people: Kath McFarlane, ph (02) 9514 2916, fax (02) 9664 3094; Solange Rosa, ph (02) 9300 0649, fax (02) 9664 3094; Violet Roumeliotis, ph (02) 9564 2722, fax (02) 9564 1643; Ray Jackson, (02) 9318 8947, fax (02) 9564 1643.