Thursday, 17 August 2023

Ministers statements: prison programs

Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support) (12:18): I rise today to share details of another excellent corrections initiative that is focused on addressing Aboriginal over-representation in our justice system. With support from our government, the Wadamba prison-to-work program is helping Aboriginal people on remand to find employment once they are released from custody. The program supports Aboriginal people to find employment when they are preparing for release from the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, the Metropolitan Remand Centre or the Marngoneet Correctional Centre. We know the importance to people of finding employment and a safe and secure job for all Victorians, but that can mean so much more for people leaving our custodial facilities. Having a job is a key factor in preventing recidivism, or reoffending as you may put it, so we know it is important and that is why we are investing in it. Just in the last quarter Wadamba has supported 33 new participants preparing for release as well as helping another 20 in our community correction services to find work. Wadamba works with employees and training organisations to develop skills, provide real work experience and match people leaving custody with available jobs.

I wish to share a couple of examples with the house of people that it has made a difference to. A young woman on remand was supported into employment with a regional water authority and also given the opportunity to undertake a certificate III in business administration. Another example is a young man in this program who was able to take the opportunity with the skills provided in this program to get a job with Lendlease’s Indigenous traineeship program. He is now working in our government’s $1.1 billion redevelopment of the Frankston Hospital. There are dozens more such stories. What we know is that employment is key to stopping people reoffending, and that is why our government is making investments where it is needed most. We are doing what matters.