The Department aims to provide meaningful, practical and realistic rehabilitation for all offenders. The Education and Vocational Training Unit (EVTU) promotes transformative education – a learning experience that engages, motivates and supports offenders so they can acquire the knowledge and skills to change their lives. This is done using:
• qualified teachers and trainers
• a nationally accredited curriculum
• an innovative through-care approach.
Education and training in prisons is designed to boost employment opportunities for offenders leaving prison. Education programs aim to increase offenders’ literacy and numeracy skills, enable prisoners to gain skills more relevant to the workforce and provide support during offenders’ transition from prison to the community.
Education programs
Offenders are encouraged to participate in a wide range of education and vocational training programs while they are in custody. Programs are managed by the EVTU and aim to help offenders secure employment while in prison and following their release.
These programs are available to all prisons through internal and external service providers, including TAFE and other colleges. The programs range from adult basic education, driver education, vocational skills and employability skills through to traineeships and apprenticeships.
Qualifications are nationally recognised and courses started in prison can be continued in the community after an offender is released.
Career and Employment Services (CES)
The Department provides Career and Employment Services (CES) to support offenders and ex-offenders into sustainable employment options.
These include, but are not limited to, career and employer expos, career counselling, job preparedness skills, employability skills and post-placement support. The Prisoner Employment Program (PEP) is one such strategy to assist in sustainable employment options.
Contact:
Education and Vocational Training Unit 4 Welshpool Road
Prison services
Treatment programs (custodial)
The Department provides offence-specific rehabilitation services for prisoners who are assessed as moderate and high risk of reoffending in the community.
Programs
Offender Services provides group programs to help adult offenders in prisons address offence specific behaviour. Treatment programs cover:
• addictions offending
• violent offending (including domestic violence)
• sexual offending
• general offending
• cognitive skills.
All interventions offered to offenders are delivered in a group format and programs are delivered according to assessed demand.
Programs have been developed in Western Australia or sourced from other jurisdictions/countries and target the treatment needs related to reoffending. Clinical supervision of staff is provided to ensure program integrity. The needs of specific groups such as Aboriginal offenders, women and offenders of low intellectual functioning are also considered and addressed through specialised programs.
The Department’s Clinical Governance Unit is responsible for developing offender programs and standards, and monitors offender program delivery (see page 55).
Completion of treatment programs is an important factor when a prisoner is considered for release by the Prisoners Review Board (see page 107). The programs also assist the transition of prisoners back into the community and reduce the risk of reoffending.
Programs are also available to offenders in the community subject to community-based orders (see page 63).
Information available Brochures
• Change and Emotions – a 10-day program that addresses motivation to change, goal setting and explores emotional issues
• Family and Domestic Violence – addresses family violence and spousal abuse Both are available in two versions – for staff and for offenders.
Contact:
Director Programs
Level 4, 141 St Georges Terrace PERTH WA 6000
Drug management
A comprehensive program to reduce drug use, associated harms and reoffending is available to young people and adult offenders in custody and in the community. It includes reducing the supply of drugs entering the prison environment assisted by drug testing, the Drug Detection Unit (DDU) and a range of security and Intelligence strategies.
The program also involves reducing the demand for drugs within the offender population by delivering a range of services and programs including brief interventions, Drug and Alcohol Through-care Service (DATS), a comprehensive pharmacotherapy program delivered by Health Services and other intensive therapeutic programs. Gender and culturally-specific interventions are also delivered by internal and external service providers.
Contact:
Drug Strategy 141 St Georges Terrace PERTH WA 6000
Phone: 9264 1110 Fax: 9264 6349 Clinical Governance Unit
The Clinical Governance Unit (CGU) is responsible for developing offender programs and standards and the monitoring of offender services.
This includes maintaining and reviewing the framework in which the Department’s rehabilitation programs and interventions are evaluated. The unit also conducts clinical evaluations and undertakes clinical research.
The aim of the CGU is to ensure standards are developed, monitored and adhered to in the areas of:
• treatment program delivery
• suicide prevention
• disability services
• culturally and linguistically diverse people
• counselling and support services
• research and evaluation of programs.
Contact:
Clinical Governance Unit
Prison services
Disability Services
Disability Services focuses on providing consultancy services that support Department case officers and external agency representatives who work with prisoners with intellectual disabilities, acquired brain damage, dementia or cognitive impairment.
It provides advice to staff and prisoners relating to services and policies for people with these disabilities.
Contact:
Disability Services Coordinator 141 St Georges Terrace
PERTH WA 6000
Phone: 9264 1569 or 9264 6272 Fax: 9264 1740
Art programs
Art is one of many education and rehabilitation programs offered in prison. Prisoners are offered accredited art studies from entry level through to tertiary level.
Artworks are completed as individual pieces or as a group, which often involves prisoners producing public art pieces such as murals. Artwork can be in many mediums such as painting, drawing or sculpture and also includes creative writing, music and performance.
Contact:
Arts Coordinator
Educational and Vocational Training Unit 4 Welshpool Road
EAST VICTORIA PARK WA 6101 Phone: 6250 9221 Fax: 9470 4276 Prisoner art gallery
The Prisoner Art Gallery in the Fremantle Prison showcases and sells artworks of current and ex-prisoners of Western Australia.
The twice-yearly exhibition provides insight into how programs are delivered and how they can help prisoners with the transition from custody into the community.
Gallery hours are 9 am-5 pm daily and admission is free.
The Prisoner Art Gallery is a joint initiative between the Department of Corrective
Services and the Department of Finance - Building Management and Works, which manages the site.
Contact:
Prisoner Art Gallery Fremantle Prison 1 The Terrace
FREMANTLE WA 6160 Phone: 9336 9200 Chaplain services
Chaplains are available in all prisons to offer religious, moral and spiritual support to prisoners as required. They provide ongoing support to prisoners on personal and family issues and encourage them to become morally self-sufficient and positive community members.
The chaplains conduct weekly religious services for prisoners and can provide religious items and arrange visits by representatives of all faiths.
Contact:
Prison Chaplain Service Nicholson Road
CANNING VALE WA 6155 Phone: 9366 6393
Prisoner health and welfare
New prisoners are assessed to determine their security rating, placement, treatment programs, educational and vocational needs and health requirements.
Health Services
The Health Services Directorate is a nationally-accredited health service which provides a comprehensive range of primary health care services comparable with general community standards and according to the needs of patients.
Health Services delivers its services to patients in custody in various categories, including chronic disease, infectious disease, co-morbidity (multiple illnesses in one person) and acute care.
Health Services provides support to adults and young people as they enter custody,
Prison services
Contact:
Health Services 141 St Georges Terrace PERTH WA 6000
Phone: 9264 1360 Fax: 9264 1583 Counselling and Support Services
The Department provides services and programs to support offenders’ emotional and physical wellbeing. A counselling service, prison support officers and a number of suicide prevention strategies all address prisoner health and safety and identify and support those who may be at risk of self-harm or suicide.
Prison Counselling Service
The Prison Counselling Service is available to offenders in Western Australian prisons.
A team of social workers and psychologists work alongside health and program staff to help prisoners deal with difficulties they might experience while in custody.
Prison support officers
Prison support officers are located at various prisons in the State. They are paid employees who manage a team of peer support offenders within the prison. These offenders provide assistance to new arrivals and any other offenders having difficulties.
Prison support officers work closely with, and take direct referrals from, prison officers, nursing staff and the Prison Counselling Service. They also refer offenders to other service providers. The peer support team of offenders reflects the population of the prison and provides culturally-appropriate advice to staff.
Contact:
Director Assessment, Counselling and Support Level 4, 141 St Georges Terrace
PERTH WA 6000
Phone: 9264 6438 Fax: 9264 6439 Suicide prevention
The Department’s approach to preventing deaths in custody incorporates a wide range of initiatives, support services, monitoring strategies and people.
However, suicide has complex motivations and even with progressive preventive
measures and structured practices to respond to vulnerable prisoners, it may still be triggered in a stressful situation.
A comprehensive suicide prevention strategy for prisoners is in place and actively managed.
Contact:
Suicide Prevention and Clinical Governance Manager 141 St Georges Terrace
PERTH WA 6000
Phone: 9264 1002 Fax: 9262 3345 Cultural Consultancy Project
This project was initiated to develop culturally specific approaches to reducing suicide and self harm risk in prisons and is now an ongoing program. Originally having a sole focus upon Aboriginal prisoners, this has been broadened to develop specific approaches for prisoners who are from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) populations.
In addition, the project aims to improve the cultural competence of workers within prisons.
Contact:
Cross Cultural Consultant 141 St Georges Terrace Perth WA 6000
Tel: 9264 9609 Fax: 9262 3345 Sentence management Leave for Prisoners
The Department offers leave options to prisoners after they have been through a comprehensive assessment process.
Reintegration leave (formerly Home leave)
The Reintegration Leave program enables long-term, minimum-security prisoners to leave the prison under the supervision of an approved sponsor for set periods of time.
This leave enables prisoners to re-establish family and community relationships. As an
Prison services
Prisoner Employment Program
The Prisoner Employment Program (PEP) provides suitably assessed, minimum-security prisoners with the opportunity to engage in meaningful and sustainable paid employment, work experience, seeking employment activities and vocational training in the community. Absence permits allow prisoners to access the PEP for the purposes of rehabilitation and reintegration in anticipation of their release.
Attendance at funerals and visiting dangerously ill person/s
Any prisoner may apply to leave the prison on compassionate grounds. This includes attending a funeral or visiting a dangerously ill person who has only been given a short time to live. A prisoner is always accompanied by an officer on such leave.
The significance of the relationship between the prisoner and the deceased or dangerously ill person is a major consideration in whether the application is approved.
Security, logistics, cost of the escort and victim issues are also considered.
Contact:
Sentence Management Directorate 141 St Georges Terrace
PERTH WA 6000
Phone: 9264 1942 Fax: 9264 1740 Support for visitors
Support for visitors and families of prisoners is available at all metropolitan prisons and some regional prisons. Family support centres are operated by independent, non-profit organisations contracted by the Department to provide various support services.
Before visiting a prisoner at a prison with a family support centre, you must first check in at the centre. Refer to the specific prison for their visitors centre contact number.
Services offered at the centres include:
• welfare
• child-care and holiday activities
• toilets
• tea and coffee facilities
• lockers to secure personal possessions. Information available Information available
Fact sheets
• Aboriginal Visitors Scheme (see page 51)
• Improved security for staff and visitors at Western Australian prisons
• Information for visitors to prisons