The Ubuntu Strategic Framework: Enhancing Outcomes for Staff and Justice-Involved Individuals of African Heritage in South Australia

ICPA 2025 Presentation by Yilma Woldgabreal and David Brown (PID202)

Authors

Dr. Yilma Woldgabreal

Principal Advisor, African Australian Services, Department for Correctional Services, Australia

Dr. Yilma Woldgabreal serves as the Principal Advisor for African Australian Services at the Department for Correctional Services. With over 24 years of experience spanning community correctional and custodial settings, he has made significant contributions to the field. In 2024, Yilma was honoured with the Australian Corrections Medal in recognition of his distinguished service.

Yilma is a registered psychologist, an adjunct senior lecturer at Flinders University in South Australia, and an Honorary Fellow at Deakin University in Victoria. His research interests include forensic psychology risk assessment, the challenges faced by ethnic minorities within the criminal justice system, and strengths-based rehabilitation approaches. He is particularly focused on positive psychology interventions with individuals who have committed offences.

David Brown

Chief Executive, Department for Correctional Services South Australia

David Brown graduated from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Arts, double major in Government in 1992. In January 1993 he joined the Queensland Corrective Services Commission as a Custodial Correctional Officer. Mr Brown has enjoyed a wide and varied career in corrections with experience across three jurisdictions. He has worked in both the private and public sector in a range of senior management roles.

In summary, his experience includes:

Chief Executive, DCS, South Australia Executive Director Custodial Services, DCS, South Australia Director, Detention Services for GSL (Australia) Pty Ltd General Manager, Maryborough Correctional Centre, DCS, Queensland Assistant General Manager, Acacia Prison, Perth for AIMS Corporation

His academic qualifications include:

Bachelor of Arts, double major in Government and a major in Australian History, University of Queensland, 1992; and Master of Public Administration, University of Queensland, 2001.

Appointed as Chief Executive of the Department for Correctional Services in South Australia in September 2012, he has overseen a critical period of growth and reform across the Department. He has played a key role in strengthening security and emergency management standards across the system; placing a renewed focus on offender rehabilitation, education and vocation training; and building community partnerships to improve reintegration of offender back into society once they leave prison. Mr Brown is passionate about creating an integrated approach to offender management that involves meaningful activity combined with targeted rehabilitation.

The South Australian Department for Correctional Services is pursuing the ambitious goal of reducing re-offending by 10% by 2020. David Brown is focused on implementing strategies that drive down the rate of re-offending including increased investment in rehabilitation programs, strengthening alternatives to custody such as Home Detention and building better prison services. Leadership development and succession planning has been a key focus during his time in South Australia and he believes the Department for Correctional Services is well positioned with an experienced Executive and Senior Management group.

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