NCJ Number
188183
Date Published
February 2001
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper discusses trends in the incarceration of women in Australia and intervention programs available to women in Australian prisons.
Abstract
In 1999 women constituted approximately 6 percent of the sentenced prison population in Australia. Although few, the number of incarcerated women has been steadily increasing. In 1991, 607 women were incarcerated. In 1999 this had almost doubled to 1,124 (an 85-percent increase). The increase in the imprisonment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) sentenced women has been much greater over the period compared with other women. Women are often incarcerated for violence, property offenses, and drug offenses. They apparently have a pattern of low education and unemployment. Data analysis indicates that women can benefit from drug rehabilitation, vocational training, and relevant employment experience, although it is difficult to rehabilitate a person in the prison environment. In Australia, it is unclear whether drug-abuse treatment and employment and education programs for women are effective. The evaluation of a pilot program of literacy and numeric education through art for the ATSI female prison population indicated that an open-learning style of education is not suitable for this population, because many ATSI inmates do not have the skills required for independent learning. To be successful, courses must be culturally appropriate, and tutors must have suitable expertise in literacy and numeric instruction. 2 tables, 2 figures, 8 notes, and 39 references