Cultural Support at Acacia Prison - Opening the Gates

ICPA 2025 Presentation by John Harrison and Brooke Dillon (PID135)

Authors

John Harrison

General Manager, Serco Justice, Australia

John Harrison has spent nearly 25 years working with incarcerated Indigenous people across Australia. John's history is one of innovation and he has led programs such as the Sierra Program for young adults in South Australia, Cultural Focus Units, and the extraordinary 'Tactical Aunties' program in Western Australia. As the General Manager of the 1600 bed Acacia Prison in Western Australia, John has responded to alarming trends in Indigenous incarceration by working with the community and universities to continually develop innovative approaches to the challenges faced by a pandemic of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder amongst young Indigenous people.

For his work with the Nyoongar community in Western Australia, John has been accepted as an Honourary Nyoongar, an accolade which also imposes a cultural obligation on him towards the community. John's presentation will detail the remarkable cultural focus at Acacia Prison and he will also present a truly breathtaking tale of how Acacia's cultural focus efforts have reunited Western Australian Indigenous families with their 'Stolen Children' removed from their families in the 1970's and fostered overseas.

Brooke Dillon

Cultural Adviser, Serco Justice, Australia

Brooke Dillon is Palawa woman from Tasmania and has grown up with a deep connection to ancient Aboriginal ways passed down through generations. Brooke oversees the cultural program at Acacia which includes significant community liaison, multi-disciplinary alignment of services for Indigenous prisoners and the development of Indigenous specific programs and education. With over 700 indigenous prisoners at Acacia, Brooke tailors routines and programs for a diverse group of men including traditional people, young urban people and an increasing large cohort of prisoners with cognitive disabilities such as Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
Brooke works with a wonderful team of staff and prisoner peer supporters who provide services to all prisoners. Brooke will be speaking about Acacia's extraordinary 'Tactical Aunties', the importance of teaching traditional languages and AOD programs built by prisoners for prisoners.

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