Serco is genuinely committed to reducing reoffending, not only to prevent the next
victim in the community but also to help the people in our care to make really
positive changes in their life. That assists them to reintegrate successfully
back out into the community and live positive contributing lives and it also
breaks the cycle of reoffending that impacts so many families. The responsible
prisoner model underpins everything Serco does. We think it's important
because it builds a sense of empowerment in the guys when they come into an
environment that has essentially taken away a lot of their power. It enables
them to learn a bit of self control to learn how to manage their own lives
which often they haven't done before they've come into prison and also really
to start to look towards the future as they make positive changes and they see
benefit from that it encourages them to see a future where they can be a really
good contributing part of society. When I was offered all these programs
originally I was just gonna say no I don't want to do them, but I ended up doing
them and they had a huge impact on my thought process, my feelings, emotions The
medium intensity violence program really helped with my core beliefs. It made me
aware of my high-risk situations, values, things like the things that lie deep
down and where they started from, where they became a problem. Spoke a lot about
my substance use, being alcohol and drugs. But you'd go back to your cell at the
end of the day and you're still thinking about the program like was I really like
that? I'm not really one to praise up officers because they turned the key on
me every night, you know, but the facilitators were really, really
supportive, really helpful. There were plenty of times where I said nup I'm a man, I
don't need a counsellor, I'll look after it on my own.
After about the fourth time it's kind of like okay it's time to, it's time to
make an effort, it's time to maybe see a counsellor.
I am a former prisoner and so I've spent 10 years of my life within prison.
I think if we talk about what's the DNA of people in general and I think being
productive and having meaning and purpose in life is essential and so this
time and here spent in prison, I'm very very strong in the belief that this
should be a useful time for men. So they should be able to develop skills
employable skills be they trade skills, be it academic skills. Within the core
role of employability it's vitally important we have a mix. Some of that mix
might be in the service industry, the kitchen
might be in the laundry, could be in within horticulture. Throughout the working week,
for a man we want to replicate as far as possible for what it is like in the
community, so we use and built a partnership with Placemakers to
provide activities on-site, proper work, proper jobs, proper training to make sure
that those men can produce products that the Placemakers out in the community
could use immediately. In the last year 14 men have taken up those those
opportunities and are now in full-time employment with Placemakers. At the end
of the day if I didn't have Placemakers in my life and if I didn't have the
opportunities that Serco have provided me with, I probably would be back up on
the blocks back in trouble again, because that's the nature of who I was.
It's just having that extra responsibility and the fact that I got
32 guys there they depend on me, to turn up to do the paperwork, to make sure
that I've got work to do to delegate jobs to them, to earn my freedom.
What made me want to become involved in this program with the pups is that it
gives you a sense of satisfaction, a sense of achievement and in doing
something for the community and benefits people outside.
One I thing it's taught me a lot of patience, it's also very calming and it
gives you a level of trust within the facility.
It's companionship. That time that I spend with Casper is definitely valuable time.
It's been really important for Serco to work with the Aboriginal
population in a way that they will be engaged.
Serco are really keen to reintegrate people back into the community.
Aboriginal people are hugely over-represented in the justice system
and if we're going to lower those numbers then we've got to learn how to
work in a culturally appropriate manner with them. Mainstream programs, they may
address some needs but they're not addressing them at the level that these
guys need. If we can deliver programs that teach them about their culture
because some are very, very disconnected. If we can help them to learn about their
culture and their history and who they really are, then they're much better
prepared to go back to their families and feel strong and proud and if we can
give them the education and training to assist them then they can go back into
the community and they can achieve whatever they want. The biggest change for
me is working, walking out these gates and just realise that there's more to life
than being in here. You walk out to the world and the world is a big place and
to live in it, you have to work equal like everyone else. Before I wouldn't
actually be able to talk to anyone, lack of self confidence you know helped me to
achieve things that I thought I wouldn't be able to achieve. As long as there's a
bit of support anyone could do anything. The courses in here like really
helped me they've got me a good resume and everything. Start making my own path
to a better life because there's no more opportunities that I'm going to let by
in my life, no way. So a really important part of our pathways model is the is the
resettlement and reintegration support that we offer in our prisons. So much of
the good work that we do in prison can fall down when a prisoner walks out the
gate if he doesn't have any support on the outside. So Mission Australia is not
for profit organisation that works alongside Serco. What we know is that 3
months post release that's one of the most high-risk times for residents in
terms of whether they're going to lapse back into their old ways, so mentoring is
hugely important and that's what Mission Australia does. Well without the
programs that Serco were delivering and without Mission Australia I don't think
I'd be able to move forward in a positive manner. I'd really just be
an antisocial, the antisocial kid that I always was before. I wouldn't be able to
work in any place that was promoting well-being because I wouldn't be living
a healthy life myself. I feel that the programs that are provided by Serco are
really important for people trying to reintegrate into the real world. Those
programs really helped to change that thought process help you think of the
consequences. it's really important for us to create the best possible
environment in a prison for people to make positive changes in their lives, not
only does that hopefully prevent the next victim in the community but it
builds better lives for the people that we've cared for and it builds better
lives for their families around them and that helps break the cycle of
reoffending