DOCSLIB.ORG

Draft Report

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Draft Report The Impact on Community Services of Staff and Service Reductions, Privatisation and Outsourcing of Public Services in Australian States Report 1 Report prepared for the Community and Public Sector Union (SPSF Group) Beth Cook, Victor Quirk and William Mitchell June 2012 DRAFT REPORT Centre of Full Employment and Equity The University of Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2308, Australia Home Page: http://e1.newcastle.edu.au/coffee Email: [email protected] DRAFT REPORT i Table of Contents Page Heading No. Title Page i Table of Contents ii List of Abbreviations vii List of Tables xi List of Figures xiii List of Boxes xv Terms of Reference xvii Executive Summary xviii Chapter 1 – Introduction 1-14 1.1 Background 1 1.2 The transformation of the Welfare State 4 1.2.1 The Keynesian Welfare State 4 1.2.2 Transformation to the post welfare state: the full employability framework 6 1.3 Research approach and content 11 1.3.1 Research Questions 13 1.3.2 Methodology 13 1.3.3 Structure of the Report 14 Chapter 2 – Fiscal policy and outcomes 15-59 2.1 Introduction 15 2.2 Understanding budget outcomes 17 2.3 Commonwealth-State Financial Relations 18 2.4 Fiscal strategy and outcomes: NSW 20 2.4.1 Fiscal strategy 20 2.4.2 Recent developments in NSW 25 2.4.3 Key fiscal outcomes for NSW 26 2.5 Fiscal strategy and outcomes: Victoria 28 2.5.1 Fiscal strategy 28 2.5.2 Recent developments in Victoria 31 2.5.3 Key fiscal outcomes for Victoria 33 2.6 Fiscal strategy and outcomes: Queensland 35 2.6.1 Fiscal strategy 35 2.6.2 Recent developments in Queensland 36 2.6.3 Key fiscal outcomes for Queensland 37 DRAFT REPORT ii 2.7 Fiscal strategy and outcomes: South Australia 39 2.7.1 Fiscal strategy 39 2.7.2 Recent developments in South Australia 41 2.7.3 Key fiscal outcomes for South Australia 43 2.8 Fiscal strategy and outcomes: Western Australia 44 2.8.1 Fiscal strategy 44 2.8.2 Recent developments in Western Australia 47 2.8.3 Key fiscal outcomes for Western Australia 48 2.9 Fiscal strategy and outcomes: Tasmania 50 2.9.1 Fiscal strategy 50 2.9.2 Recent developments in Tasmania 53 2.9.3 Key fiscal outcomes for Tasmania 54 2.10 Summary and conclusion 56 Chapter 3 – Public sector staffing developments 60-101 3.1 Introduction 60 3.2 Public Sector employment outcomes in Australia 61 3.2.1 State Public sector staffing 62 3.3 Public Sector staffing in NSW 64 3.3.1 Recent developments in public sector staffing in NSW 66 3.4 Public Sector staffing in Victoria 68 3.4.1 Recent developments in public sector staffing in Victoria 71 3.5 Public Sector staffing in Queensland 72 3.5.1 Recent developments in public sector staffing in Queensland 74 3.6 Public Sector staffing in South Australia 76 3.6.1 Recent developments in public sector staffing in South Australia 78 3.7 Public Sector staffing in Western Australia 80 3.7.1 Recent developments in public sector staffing in Western Australia 82 3.8 Public Sector staffing in Tasmania 83 3.8.1 Recent developments in public sector staffing in Tasmania 85 3.9 The impact of staffing strategies 89 3.9.1 Staffing increases for frontline services 89 3.9.2 Outcome of staff cuts 90 3.9.3 Other efficiency measures: the case of Shared Services 94 3.9.4 The wider implications of reductions in public sector staffing 98 3.10 Conclusion 100 Chapter 4 – Privatisation in Australia 102-136 DRAFT REPORT iii 4.1 Introduction 102 4.2 Extent of Privatisation in the OECD 103 4.3 The privatisation debate 105 4.3.1 Perceived public sector weakness 105 4.3.2 Arguments for privatisation 105 4.3.3 Risks of privatisation 107 4.4 Privatisation in Australia: the contribution of the Commonwealth Government 109 4.5 Privatisation in NSW 112 4.5.1 Electricity and associated businesses 113 4.5.2 Other potential privatisation initiatives of the O’Farrell Government 117 4.6 Privatisation in Victoria 118 4.6.1 Electricity and gas 120 4.6.2 Public transport and rail freight services 121 4.6.3 Privatisation in other sectors 124 4.6.4 The impact of privatisation 124 4.6.5 Future prospects 125 4.7 Privatisation in Queensland 125 4.7.1 Energy privatisation in Queensland 126 4.7.2 Other recent privatisations 127 4.8 South Australia 128 4.9 Western Australia 131 4.10 Tasmania 132 4.10.1 Electricity 133 4.11 Conclusion 134 Chapter 5 – Public Sector Outsourcing 137-171 5.1 Introduction 137 5.2 The ideological drivers of outsoucing 140 5.3 Arguments in favour of outsourcing 143 5.4 Potential problems with outsourcing 146 5.5 What has been outsourced by state governments? 151 5.5.1 Information and Communications Technology (ICT) 152 5.5.2 Health 154 5.5.3 Prisons, justice and security services 155 5.5.4 Vocational education and training (VET) 158 5.5.5 Other services 159 5.6 The extent of outsourcing 161 5.6.1 Western Australia 162 DRAFT REPORT iv 5.7 Outsourcing to the not for profit sector 163 5.7.1 The contribution of the NFP sector 164 5.7.2 Homelessness and Disability Services 166 5.7.3 Issues with outsourcing to NFPs 168 5.8 Conclusion 169 Chapter 6 – Public Private Partnerships 172-202 6.1 Introduction 172 6.2 Pros and cons of PPPs 172 6.2.1 Efficiency 173 6.2.2 Budget constraints 174 6.2.3 Risk transfer 175 6.2.4 Value for money assessments 175 6.2.5 Contract specification 176 6.2.6 Monitoring problems 176 6.2.7 Other issues 177 6.3 PPPs in Australia 178 6.3.1 Roads 180 6.3.2 Public transport 183 6.3.3 Prisons and Justice 187 6.3.4 Education 189 6.3.5 Water 190 6.3.6 Health 193 6.3.7 Other PPPs 199 6.4 Conclusion 201 Chapter 7 – The adequacy of public services 203-238 7.1 Introduction 203 7.2 Measuring the adequacy of public service 204 7.3 Australia Data Sources 205 7.4 Health 206 7.4.1 Public hospitals 206 7.4.2 GP Services 213 7.4.3 Mental Health 213 7.4.4 Other health services 217 7.5 Housing and Homelessness 218 7.5.1 Housing issues 218 7.5.2 Social Housing 220 DRAFT REPORT v 7.5.3 Homelessness 225 7.6 Education 226 7.7 Disability services 229 7.8 Home and Community Care (HACC) 230 7.9 Child Protection 232 7.10 Corrective services 234 7.11 Conclusion 237 References 239-265 DRAFT REPORT vi List of Abbreviations ACAT Aged Care Assessment Team AIHW Australian Institute of Health and Welfare ALC Airport Link Company ALP Australian Labor Party APS American Public Service (Chapter 2 only) ARC Administrative Review Council AWA Australian Workplace Agreement BOLB Build, own and lease back BOO Build, own and operate BOOT Build, own, operate and transfer CCSU Central Corporate Services Unit CES Commonwealth Employment Service CIT Communications and Information Technology CLCV & CSPPA Consumer Law Centre Victoria and the Centre for the Study of Privatisation & Public Accountability COAG Council of Australian Governments CofFEE Centre of Full employment and Equity CPI Consumer Price Index CPSU(SPSF Group) Community and Public Sector Union – State Public Services Federation Group CRA Commonwealth Rent Assistance CWU Communications Workers Union DFT Department of Treasury and Finance DHS Department of Human Services DHHS Department of Health and Human Services DSE Department of Sustainability and Environment DTFSSC Department of Treasury and Finance Shared Service Centre EIPP Early Intervention and Placement Prevention ETSA Electricity Trust of South Australia EOI Expressions of Interest FAA Financial Accountability Act FE Forward Estimates FMA Financial Management Act FRA Fiscal Responsibility Act FTE Full-time equivalent GBE Government Business Enterprise GDC Ch4 pg 24 GFC Global Financial Crisis DRAFT REPORT vii GGDEA General Government Debt Elimination Act GPP General Purpose Payments GSP Gross State Product GST Goods and Services Tax GTE Government Trading Enterprise HACC Home and Community Care HCoA Health Care of Australia IFS Interim Fiscal Strategy IMF International Monetary fund INSW Infrastructure New South Wales JCH Joondalup Community Hospital LSL Long Service Leave MAE Material Adverse Effect MCC Melbourne Custodial Centre MDU Multiple Dwelling Units MHSB Metropolitan Health Services Board MMBW Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works MRSA Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus MYBR Mid Year Budget Review MYFR Mid-Year Financial Report MYR Mid-Year Review NAHA National Affordable Housing Agreement NAIRU Non accelerating inflation rate of unemployment NCP National Competition Policy ND Net Debt NDA National Disability Agreement NEAT National Emergency Access Target NEM National Electricity Market NFP Not for Profit NGO Non-government organisation NHS National Health Service NOB Net Operating Balance NP National Partnership NPM New Public Management NPP National Partnership Payments NRC1 National Rail Corporation NRC2 National Rail Consortium Pty. Limited NRG Ch 4 page 23 DRAFT REPORT viii OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development OHS Occupational Health and Safety OICS Office of The Inspector of Custodial Services OOHC Ch5 page26 PAC Parliamentary Accounts Committee PFI Private Finance Initiative PFP Privately Funded Projects PMBH Port Macquarie Base Hospital PSM Public Service Motivation PNFC Public Non Financial Corporations PPP Public-private partnership PS Public Service PSC Public Sector Comparator PTC Public Transport Corporation PTE Public Trading Enterprises QANGO Quasi Autonomous Non Governmental Organisation QEC Queensland Electricity Commission QGC Queensland Generation Corporation QR Queensland Rail QTSC Queensland Transmission and Supply Corporation SDO Service Delivery Outcomes SECV State Electricity Commission of Victoria SEIFA Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas SOC State Owned Corporations SOE State Operated Entities SPP Specific Purpose Payments SSSA Shared Services South Australia TVSP Targeted Voluntary Separation Packages VET Vocational and Educational Training VPS Victorian Public Service VSP Voluntary Separation Program VTESA Voluntary Targeted Employment Separation Agreement WACOSS West Australian Council of Social Services WTO World Trade Organisation DRAFT REPORT ix List of Tables Table No.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Practice Title of the Paper Privatisation As an Instrument of Social Welfare Pr
    4th International Conference on Public Policy (ICPP4) June 26-28, 2019 – Montréal Panel T05P12 Session 2 Social Welfare Provision: Practice Title of the paper Privatisation as an instrument of social welfare provision: The case of prisons privatisation in Australia Authors Deirdre O’Neill Valarie Sands Graeme Hodge Monash University, Australia [email protected] Date of presentation June 27, 2019 1 4th International Conference on Public Policy (ICPP4) June 26-28, 2019 – Montréal Privatisation as an instrument of social welfare provision: the case of prisons privatisation in Victoria, Australia Associate Professor Deirdre O’Neill [email protected] Dr Valarie Sands [email protected] Professor Graeme Hodge [email protected] Abstract Since the 1970s, many international jurisdictions have embraced private sector solutions to problems of social welfare provision. Prisons, once regarded as a core responsibility of the public sector, have not been quarantined from this process. In Australia, the state’s monopoly of correctional services ended in 1990 with the opening of the first privately operated prison in the northern state of Queensland. Now, nearly three decades later, Australia has the highest proportion of prisoners in privately managed prisons in the world. This paper analyses the experience of one Australian state, Victoria, which has made the most extensive use of a range of privatisation mechanisms to finance, build and manage that state’s prison system. Taking an historical perspective and drawing upon publicly available documents, the paper traces the evolution of prison management in Victoria from a traditional bureaucratic model in which the state had complete responsibility to one in which the private sector now has a major role.
    [Show full text]
  • Review of the Management and Operation of Victoria's Corrections System
    Review of the management and operation of Victoria's corrections system Review of the management and operation of Victoria's corrections system The Victorian Government has vested the State Services Authority with functions designed to foster the development of an efficient, integrated and responsive public sector which is highly ethical, accountable and professional in the ways it delivers services to the Victorian community. The key functions of the Authority are to: • identify opportunities to improve the delivery and integration of government services and report on service delivery outcomes and standards; • promote high standards of integrity and conduct in the public sector; • strengthen the professionalism and adaptability of the public sector; and • promote high standards of governance, accountability and performance for public entities. The Authority seeks to achieve its charter by working closely and collaboratively with public sector departments and agencies. contact us at the State Services Authority Email: [email protected] Phone: (03) 9651 1321 Fax: (03) 9651 0747 Postal Address: 3 Treasury Place Melbourne 3002 www.ssa.vic.gov.au © Copyright State Government of Victoria State Services Authority 2012 contents executive summary 1 acronyms 5 1 introduction 7 1.1 terms of reference 7 1.2 review methodology and scope 7 1.3 relationship with other reviews 8 2 background 9 2.1 Department of Justice 9 2.2 Corrections Victoria 9 2.3 community corrections 10 2.4 prisons in Victoria 11 2.5 prisoner placement and categories of prisoners
    [Show full text]
  • PAEC – Inquiry Into the Victorian Government's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
    PAEC – Inquiry into the Victorian Government's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic HEARING, 26 August 2020 Questions on Notice taken by Dr Emma Cassar, Commissioner, Corrections Victoria (1) Verified transcript, page 22: Ms VALLENCE: Thank you so much, Mr Radford. I would like to pass my questions now to Dr Cassar, Corrections Commissioner. Commissioner, in total how many days of lockdown have been served in Victorian prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic? Dr CASSAR: Thanks, Ms Vallence. I do not have those figures in front of me, but I am happy to take that on notice. QoN Response: As lockdowns are applied selectively there is no relevant metric for the total number of days prisons have been subject to lockdown. For example, a particular unit at a prison may go into lockdown in response to a symptomatic prisoner being moved to quarantine or for contact tracing purposes. Lockdowns have assisted with the safe management of the risk of COVID-19 since March. It has been used on these occasions; The Melbourne Assessment Prison, Metropolitan Remand Centre and Port Phillip Prison commenced half day lockdowns across several units in late March 2020 to support physical distancing across the prisons. Loddon Prison was locked down for one day on 3 April 2020. Ravenhall, Hopkins Correctional Centre, Langi Kal Kal, Barwon Prison, Fulham and Loddon were in lockdown from 21 July 2020. All but Fulham and Ravenhall returned to normal operations on 23 July 2020. Fulham returned to normal operations on 24 July; Ravenhall returned to normal operations on 25 July 2020.
    [Show full text]
  • Investigation Into Good Practice When Conducting Prison Disciplinary Hearings
    Investigation into good practice when conducting prison disciplinary hearings July 2021 Ordered to be published Victorian government printer Session 2018-21 P.P. No. 247 Accessibility If you would like to receive this publication in an alternative format, please call 9613 6222, using the National Relay Service on 133 677 if required, or email [email protected]. The Victorian Ombudsman pays respect to First Nations custodians of Country throughout Victoria. This respect is extended to their Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge their sovereignty was never ceded. Letter to the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly To The Honourable the President of the Legislative Council and The Honourable the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Pursuant to sections 25 and 25AA of the Ombudsman Act 1973 (Vic), I present to Parliament my Investigation into good practice when conducting prison disciplinary hearings. Deborah Glass OBE Ombudsman 7 July 2021 transmittal letter 1 2 www.ombudsman.vic.gov.au Contents Foreword 4 Conclusions 74 Opportunities to promote fairness Glossary 6 and improve decision-making in the Introduction 8 pre-hearing process 75 Why we investigated 8 Opportunities to promote fairness Jurisdiction 12 and improve decision-making during and after the hearing 76 Terms of reference 12 Promoting fairness for prisoners with a Methodology 12 cognitive impairment or mental illness 77 Procedural fairness and privacy 15 Recommendations 78 Legal and governance framework 16 Key concepts for decision-makers to Appendix
    [Show full text]
  • Can Private Prisons Work for Public Good?
    Outsourcing Community Safety: Can private prisons work for public good? Jesuit October 2017 Social Services Building a Just Society 40years Prisons occupy a unique place in our In addition, the paper considers the potential practical society. They involve a deprivation and policy considerations for Australia, and particularly of liberty and limits on self- Victoria, of the high level of reliance on private prisons, including risks. Chief among these risks is that a determination, and these restrictions corporate emphasis on cost reduction and profit are sanctioned by Government and drivers might adversely affect quality, outcome and supported by the community in the governance standards. But there are other risks also, name of safety and punishment. including that the trend towards private facilities, which can be established relatively quickly to ease any overcrowding, shifts the policy focus away from Freedom is not curtailed lightly– a prison term should alternatives that may ultimately prove more effective be a sentence of last resort, designed to deter, than incarceration. denounce, punish, rehabilitate and protect1. But even as a last resort, it is crucial that the imposition of a While the risks of outsourcing to the private sector period of imprisonment is subject to strict safeguards are clear, and some may argue their mere existence and to ensure fair and humane treatment that is both is sufficient to mandate caution, it remains difficult to ethical and legal. prove those risks have produced adverse outcomes thanks to an almost universal lack of transparency. In the past three decades there has been increased The lack of transparency extends from the terms use of imprisonment across the world, and significant and incentives within contracts to details of inmate changes in the purpose, design and operation of incidents and analysis of longer-term rehabilitation prisons, including privatisation of prison services and outcomes for a particular prison population.
    [Show full text]
  • Safety and Cost Effectiveness of Private Prisons Private of Effectiveness Cost and Safety
    Safety and Cost Effectiveness of Private Prisons Victorian Auditor -General’s Office — Level 31 / 35 Collins Street Melbourne Vic 3000 T 03 8601 7000 [email protected] www.audit.vic.gov.au — Safety and Cost Effectiveness of March 2018 Private Prisons March 2018 2017–18: 15 Independent assurance report to Parliament 2017–18: 15 13353 VAGO_Safety and Cost Effectiveness of Private Prisons_Cover.pdf | Page 1 of 1 13353 VAGO_Safety and Cost Effectiveness of Private Prisons_Cover.pdf | Page 1 of 1 Safety and Cost Effectiveness of Private Prisons Independent assurance report to Parliament Ordered to be published VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT PRINTER March 2018 PP no 384, Session 2014–18 This report is printed on Monza Recycled paper. Monza Recycled is certified Carbon Neutral by The Carbon Reduction Institute (CRI) in accordance with the global Greenhouse Gas Protocol and ISO 14040 framework. The Lifecycle Analysis for Monza Recycled is cradle to grave including Scopes 1, 2 and 3. It has FSC Mix Certification combined with 55% recycled content. ISBN 978 1 925678 14 7 The Hon Bruce Atkinson MLC The Hon Colin Brooks MP President Speaker Legislative Council Legislative Assembly Parliament House Parliament House Melbourne Melbourne Dear Presiding Officers Under the provisions of section 16AB of the Audit Act 1994, I transmit my report Safety and Cost Effectiveness of Private Prisons. Yours faithfully Andrew Greaves Auditor-General 29 March 2018 Contents Audit overview ............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Corrections Victoria Community Work Partnership Awards 2013
    Corrections Victoria Community Work Partnership Awards 2013 Department of Justice Published by Corrections Victoria, Contact for permission to copy Department of Justice, or for further information: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Corrections Victoria Department of Justice (c) Copyright State of Victoria 2013 GPO Box 123 Department of Justice Melbourne Vic 3001 Authorised by the Commissioner, Telephone +61 3 8684 6600 Corrections Victoria, Facsimile +61 3 8684 6611 Department of Justice, [email protected] 121 Exhibition Street, Melbourne www.justice.vic.gov.au Design by Outsource Design, If you would like to receive this publication in an Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia accessible format, such as large print, please telephone the Strategic Communication Branch, Print managed by Finsbury Green Department of Justice on 03 8684 0332, or the This publication is copyright. Apart from any National Relay Telephone Service (TTY) 13 36 77 use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 or email [email protected] or by individuals for study purposes, no part of this publication may be reproduced without permission. In all cases the source of the material must be acknowledged when reproducing or quoting any part of this publication. ISSN 1835-2820 Cover design: The colours used this year are the colours associated with Corrections Victoria the theme of safety. The overlapping hands and range of colours indicate Community Work Partnership Awards 2013 the diversity of people and organisations involved in forming a successful partnership with a common goal. The hands form a star to celebrate the excellence of the nominated community work projects. The colours overall emerge and then fade into each other, giving a sense of emergence, dynamism, development and creativity.
    [Show full text]
  • CSBA Year in Review 2019/20
    Community Safety Building Authority Year in Review 2019-20 CONTENTS DEPUTY SECRETARY/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S FOREWORD .................................................. 3 ABOUT THE COMMUNITY SAFETY BUILDING AUTHORITY ............................................................... 4 OUR GROUPS ......................................................................................................................................... 5 OUR STRUCTURE .................................................................................................................................. 6 CSBA AT A GLANCE .............................................................................................................................. 7 OUR ACHIEVEMENTS IN DETAIL .......................................................................................................... 8 FUTURE INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING ............................................................................................ 17 APPENDIX 1 – Our Leadership Group and Advisory Board ................................................................... 18 APPENDIX 2 – Our Clients and Stakeholders ........................................................................................ 19 APPENDIX 3 – Our Projects .................................................................................................................. 20 Page 2 of 20 DEPUTY SECRETARY/ CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S FOREWORD The Community Safety Building Authority Our high-value, high-risk projects have (CSBA) was formed a little
    [Show full text]
  • Victorian Prisons Information Booklet
    Victorian Prisons Information Booklet A helpful guide to visiting a friend or family member in prison. defence lawyers defence lawyers Contents General Information For Prison Visitors 4 Barwon Prison 6 Beechworth Correctional Centre 8 Dame Phyllis Frost Centre 8 Dhurringile Prison 10 Fulham Correctional Centre 11 Hopkins Correctional Centre 12 Judy Lazarus Transition Centre 12 Langi Kal Kal Prison 12 Loddon Prison 14 Marngoneet Correctional Centre 15 Melbourne Assessment Prison 15 Metropolitan Remand Centre 16 Port Phillip Prison 17 Tarrengower Prison 18 This material has been sourced from various internet sites and was correct at time of publishing, as of July 2018. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information presented herein and urge people reading this document to confirm information for themselves. This booklet is provided as a guide only and is intended to assist those seeking general information about Victorian prisons. For more specific information, please contact the prison directly. General Information For Prison Visitors Arranging a Visit Identification To visit a prisoner, you must be on the prisoner’s Whenever you visit a prison, a total of 100 points approved visitors list. A prisoner can have up to of identification is required. If you do not have ten people on their list at any one time. It is up tothe suitable identification, you will not be able to visit. prisoner to add you to their list. To add you, Photocopied documents will not be accepted. the prisoner needs your full name, date of birth and address. Suitable Identification 100 points If you are unsure whether you are on a • Current driver’s licence (with photo) prisoner’s approved visitors list or you want • Valid passport • Correctional Services pass to ask a prisoner to add you to their approved • Law card • Consulate ID card • Firearms licence visitors list you can write to the prisoner.
    [Show full text]
  • I an Evaluation of the Efficacy of Corrections Victoria's Assessment Process a Thesis Submitted for the Requirements for the D
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by RMIT Research Repository i An evaluation of the efficacy of Corrections Victoria’s assessment process A thesis submitted for the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Carolyne Thompson B.A. (Psychology) Graduate Diploma Applied Child Psychology Master of Applied Science (Psychology) Discipline of Psychology School of Health Sciences RMIT University 22 March 2013 ii DECLARATION I certify that except where due acknowledgement has been made, the work is that of the author alone; the work has not been submitted previously, in whole or in part, to qualify for any other academic award; the content of this thesis is the result of work which has been carried out since the official commencement date of the approved research program; and, any editorial work, paid, or unpaid, carried out by a third party is acknowledged. Ethics procedures and guidelines have been followed throughout the research project. ………………………. Carolyne Thompson 22 March 2013 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Despite popular opinion, the relatively recent acquisition of private bathrooms and televisions in prisons hasn’t resulted in Victorian prisoners residing in tax funded resorts. They’re still prisons (although sometimes they’re referred to as correctional facilities and occasionally provided an Indigenous title, they’re nonetheless prisons). Days are highly structured with little, if any, opportunity to exercise independence or choice, and it’s under those conditions that people like me (and there’s quite a few of us) request prisoners take time out to answer a lot of questions, ostensibly toward the greater good.
    [Show full text]
  • Investigation Into the Rehabilitation And
    Investigation into the rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners in Victoria September 2015 Ordered to be published Victorian government printer Session 2014-15 P.P. No. 94 Letter to the Legislative Contents Council and the Legislative Foreword 2 Assembly Executive summary 4 Investigation scope and methodology 10 To The prisons landscape 12 The Honourable the President of the Legislative Pressures on the justice system 17 Council Impact on the justice system 24 and Other consequences 29 The Honourable the Speaker of the Legislative Links between disadvantage and offending 32 Assembly Over-representation 34 Prison services and support 36 Assessment and case management 36 Pursuant to sections 25 and 25AA of the Ombudsman Act 1973, I present to Parliament my Offending behaviour programs 48 report into an Investigation into the rehabilitation Alcohol and other drug programs 56 and reintegration of prisoners in Victoria. Mental health treatment and support 60 Education, skills and training 63 Prisoner groups with particular needs 73 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners 74 Cognitive disability 87 Deborah Glass OBE Women 94 Young adult prisoners 97 Ombudsman 16 September 2015 Transition, pre- and post-release support 102 Role of family support in the transition process 121 Support provided by Corrections Victoria 124 Alternative approaches 129 Links between prison and reoffending 129 Current efforts to reduce recidivism 131 Experience in other jurisdictions 136 Implications for Victoria 142 Conclusions 145 Diversion programs 146 Sentencing, parole and bail 147 Improving prisons 147 Support for prisoner groups with particular needs 150 Pre- and post-release support 152 Recommendations 153 Acronyms 158 1 Foreword Add to this the Charter of Human Rights and The first prison I ever saw had inscribed on it Responsibilities Act, which gives my office a CEASE TO DO EVIL: LEARN TO DO WELL; specific function to investigate human rights but as the inscription was on the outside, breaches.
    [Show full text]
  • Special Report on Corrections IBAC Operations Rous, Caparra, Nisidia and Molara
    Special report on corrections IBAC Operations Rous, Caparra, Nisidia and Molara June 2021 Authorised and published by the © State of Victoria 2021 Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, (Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission) Level 1, 459 Collins Street, Melbourne June 2021 If you need this information in an accessible format, please telephone 1300 735 135 or email [email protected]. This document You are free to re-use this work under a Creative Commons can also be found on our website www.ibac.vic.gov.au Attribution 4.0 licence, provided you credit the State of Victoria (Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Ordered to be published by the Victorian Government Commission) as author, indicate if changes were made and Printer [PP 236, Session 2018–21] comply with the other licence terms. The licence does not ISBN 978-1-922349-16-3 (print) apply to any branding, including Government logos. ISBN 978-1-922349-15-6 (online) Table of contents Letter of transmittal 2 List of abbreviations 3 1 Summary of investigations and key findings 5 2 Context 17 3 Operations Rous, Caparra, Nisidia and Molara 31 4 Key corruption risks and issues 47 5 Factors affecting corruption risks 81 6 Conclusions and recommendations 95 7 Appendices 99 Appendix A: Natural justice requirements and responses 100 Appendix B: Previous IBAC special reports 101 Letter of transmittal To The Honourable President of the Legislative Council and The Honourable Speaker of the Legislative Assembly In accordance with section 162(1) of the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission Act 2011 (IBAC Act) I present IBAC’s report on its investigations into allegations of corrupt conduct in corrections: Operations Rous, Caparra, Nisidia and Molara.
    [Show full text]