The CRCAH hosted a research development roundtable on Aboriginal
prison health in Canberra on 28 November 2007, in partnership with
the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) and the
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Studies (AIATSIS).
The roundtable aimed to bring together community
representatives, correction staff (policy, program,
management and custodial staff), researchers and advocates in order
to:
- identify priority areas for research and evaluation focus areas
that specifically assist with improving Aboriginal prisoner health
and wellbeing and mechanisms to reduce recidivism;
- advocate and support research collaborations that will improve
the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander inmates;
and,
- share information about best practice (knowledge
exchange).
More than 40 delegates shared ideas with each other in what was
believed to be the first national forum of its kind. The dialogue
at the roundtable is informing the development of a research agenda
in Aboriginal prisoner health and recidivism which is being
progressed by the CRCAH and other partner organisations.
 |
| Harry
Williams (ACT Corrections) with Allan Benson (Native Counselling
Services of Alberta) and Kerry Arabena (AIATSIS) at the prisoner
health roundtable |
Key research priorities from the meeting included:
- Establishing an evidence base on a range of programmatic
interventions in the arrest, remand, sentencing, incarceration and
release stages of the prisoner lifecycle.
- Examining the scope of prison health services and current
models of service delivery in prisons, with a focus on continuity
of care pre- and post-release.
- Exploring ways of addressing the challenge of delivering health
services within different jurisdictions across the country, and how
to best ensure coordination of service provision within
jurisdictions.
- Identifying systematic mechanisms to support change.
 |
|
Delegates at the recent CRCAH-hosted prisoner
health roundtable in Canberra
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| Native Counselling Services of
Alberta’s Allen Benson and Patti LaBoucane-Benson with
members from the Berrimah Prison Aboriginal dance
group |
Related Links:
"Investing in Indigenous youth and communities to prevent crime".
Speech by Tom Calma, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social
Justice Commissioner at Indigenous young people, crime and justice
conference, Australian Institute of Criminology, 31 August
2009
Australian Human Rights Commission Media release 28 Aug 2009 "Does
imprisonment give good value for money?".
Anthea S Krieg (2006) Aboriginal incarceration:
health and social impacts, Medical Journal of Australia, Volume 184
Number 10, pp 534-536.
Indigenous Justice Clearinghouse website
Preventing Crime and Promoting Rights for
Indigenous Young People with Cognitive Disabilities and Mental
Health Issues, Australian Human Rights Commission, March
2008
[Page last updated 05.10.2009]
