Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in Australia are the most incarcerated people in the world. In Queensland almost 35% of the total prisoner population are Indigenous, although they make up only about 4% of the population. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people connection to Country is deeply spiritual and critical to a sense of belonging and identity and many parolees wish to reintegrate from prison back to their remote communities for those reasons.

 

Many of these people have been in a cycle of incarceration since childhood and are highly institutionalised.
Parole Board Queensland developed the Culturally Engaged Release for Indigenous Prisoners (CERIP) in an attempt to improve outcomes for Indigenous prisoners returning to remote communities by strengthening community support and release plans and increasing motivation for success prior to release.  We have done that by establishing relationships with Community Justice Groups including Elders who engage directly with the Board and the parole applicant to help break down barriers to release (such as availability of accommodation) and speak directly to community expectations of the parolee and supports available.

 

The program is in its infancy, with limited qualitative or quantitative data however, there have been a number of success stories and there is significant support for the program and its intent. That support comes from the Queensland Police Service and Queensland Corrective Services with some initial funding allocated by the State Government.