Easing the transition from prison to the rest of the world: Reintegration Caseworker Suzanne Silva (right)
and fellow Reintegration Team Member and Social Worker Daisy Tanielu at the Arohata Prison gates.
She’s not taking credit for this result but she does believe it illustrates how well Corrections’ prisoner reintegration programme is working.
“If women leaving prison are well prepared and well supported, the chances of their returning diminish significantly,” Suzanne says.
When reintegration caseworkers were piloted at Arohata, Waikeria Prison and Rimutaka Prison Youth Unit in 2005, few doubted they would be a success.
In late 2006, five regional prison-based reintegration teams of 42 team members including social workers, whanau liaison workers and reintegration caseworkers were established.
Suzanne is the sole reintegration caseworker at Arohata. A Corrections social worker serving all three prisons within the Wellington Region supports her.
“I focus on a prisoner’s greatest needs, which can be the ones that make or break their ability to settle back into the community successfully.”
Suzanne says when a woman leaves prison, her greatest needs are primarily:
“We review all seven of these challenges before they leave prison,” Suzanne says. “It’s very important that we identify everything that a female prisoner is grappling with. Being alert to victim-related issues is vital. We work closely with Corrections’ Community Probation and Psychological Services to ensure that the woman’s release plan mitigates any potential risk factors.”
Suzanne says that female prisoners are most vulnerable during the first few months following their release.
“Loneliness and isolation are a huge issue for some women leaving prison,” Suzanne say. “If they’re determined to turn over a new leaf they often have no choice but to avoid negative influences and that can mean cutting themselves off from family, friends and former social contacts.
“A woman who associated with a gang in Auckland might decide to stay in Wellington when released from Arohata, but if she doesn’t have friends and family here that can lead to intense isolation.
“It’s often loneliness and feelings of disconnection that drives prisoners back to their former lifestyle - particularly younger women.”
Suzanne says PARS (Prisoners’ Aid and Rehabilitation Society) does a very good job helping released prisoners with practical issues such as accessing the services they need, negotiating the transport system, learning how to operate a bank account and getting to grips with technology such as computers.
She says the needs of women prisoners can be complex. More often than not women are the primary caregivers of their family. Finding care for their children while they serve their sentence is a top priority, and worry that their children are being well cared for in their absence can become allconsuming. On release, women often have to weigh up whether they can or should return to an abusive partner. Finding somewhere to live can also be more difficult if there are children involved.
“Prisoners with a strong support network at home are very fortunate and more straightforward to work with, but the reality is, most face multiple difficulties while reintegrating back into the community,” says Suzanne.
Wellington PARS Field Worker Murray Olsen works closely with Suzanne. While Suzanne’s focus tends to be helping women serving long sentences prepare to leave prison, Murray’s focus is working with women serving short sentences or presenting one or two reintegrative needs in their sentence plan. This can involve linking them with PARS services in their hometowns.
Like Suzanne, Murray is great believer in the reintegrative work being done by Corrections and he says the partnership between Corrections and PARS works well.
“I knew a woman who returned to prison time and again due to family violence and chronic alcoholism,” says Murray. “The prison had done all it could to help Georgina* reintegrate but her drinking was always going to be a difficulty.
“Georgina contacted Wellington PARS as soon as she left prison and I referred her to Alcoholics Anonymous. It was rocky going for some time. Georgina was living rough so I helped her get a council flat.
“She was evicted after a month, returned to the streets and was in a bad way so I referred her to Mental Health Services and an agency working with alcoholics.
“This was the turning point. That agency was the right environment for her and with their help and support she reconnected with AA. Today, Georgina is fully employed, sober, playing a leading role in AA and still in touch with me. She’s proof that between Corrections and ourselves, we do have succcess stories.”
Murray says he couldn’t achieve what he does without the support of PARS volunteers. He would welcome enquiries from anyone interested in helping prisoners with literacy, and/or numeracy needs. He’s also looking for a volunteer able to visit a long-term prisoner with no family and friends.
Murray and Suzanne say in an ideal world, they wouldn’t see any of their clients return to Arohata. They agree that reintegration for most women is a long process and that it takes some longer than others find their way.
The rate of reconviction reported in 1998/99 was 48.6 per cent of all those released from prison (12-month follow up) compared to 42.3 per cent for the 2005/06 financial year.
“In years gone by prisoners had very little support or preparation for their return to the community so we have come a long way. The two out of 90 returns to Arohata in a year proves we’re on the right track,” says Suzanne.
That only two women have returned to Arohata Prison in the 13 months that Suzanne Silva has worked there fits the fact that in general, female offenders are considerably less likely to be re-imprisoned than males.
The Department of Corrections 2006/07 Annual Report shows males are re-imprisoned at a significantly higher rate than females (29 per cent and 15 per cent respectively). The number of male offenders who are reconvicted following release from prison is also higher than for female offenders (43 per cent and 31 per cent respectively).
Pacific peoples have some of the lowest recidivism and re-imprisonment rates. Of all prisoners released between April 2004 and March 2005, 29.9 per cent of Māori offenders were re-imprisoned within 12 months of release compared to 27 per cent of European offenders and 20.5 per cent of Pacific offenders.
* not her real name.
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ISSN 1178-8453