Research indicates that comprehensive prison discharge planning and reintegration practices can play an important role in promoting successful re-entry and lowering recidivism rates. In late 2023, frontline staff involved in the Department for Correctional Services South Australia’s Shaping Corrections program identified the need to reform approaches to prisoner release by improving practices, service pathways, as well as community and inter-Agency partnerships as a critical factor in achieving the Department’s strategic goal of sustained downward trends in recidivism rates across the state.
Over the following 12 months regional working groups of staff across four jurisdictional regions and from all levels of the organisation undertook a practice-informed approach to mapping Discharge Planning practices across the Department’s interfaces with key offender cohorts.
This resulted in the identification of five priority areas along with a range of associated recommendations and actions, including ‘quick wins’ which could be implemented at a site and regional level. In addition, several larger, complex challenges requiring an organisational response were also identified, resulting in five inter-related projects which are currently being resourced and delivered.
This presentation will outline the conceptualisation and mapping process for this unique, staff-led initiative, project delivery through consultative approaches involving staff, community partners, lived experience, and achieved and expected outcomes for clients.
×
Tom Woods-Kerruish
Program Lead Shaping Corrections, Department for Correctional Services South Australia, Australia
Tom has spent the past 5 years working in South Australian Government with the Department for Correctional Services and Wellbeing SA delivering service improvement, organisational change, and health promotion initiatives for the purpose of improving rehabilitation, health, and social outcomes. Prior to that he worked in the tertiary education sector with the University of Adelaide and University of South Australia.
In his current role he leads region-specific service improvement and rehabilitation outcomes through the Shaping Corrections program, supporting staff mental health through the Wellbeing and Resilience program, and gendered violence prevention through the Workplace Equality and Respect program.
×
Sophie Ransom
Principal Policy and Project Officer, Department for Correctional Services South Australia, Australia
Sophie Ransom has worked in the justice and public health sectors for over twenty-five years, undertaking research, evaluation, policy and project work. She has published papers on topics including therapeutic responses to justice-involved people, vehicle theft prevention and smoke-free areas. Sophie has worked at the South Australian Department for Correctional Services for the past six years. Her research and evaluation projects include evaluations of criminogenic rehabilitation programs, validation studies of criminogenic risk assessment tools and evaluations of cultural and employment support programs for correctional clients.
