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From incarceration to employment
by Mark Anderson 10 October 2015
F
airbridge Western Australia Inc. will release the results of the Fairbridge Centre for Social Innovation WA Preliminary Review of the multi-award winning Fairbridge Bindjareb Project and the report from Deloitte Access Economics Preliminary Analysis suggesting that the cost saving to the State of Western Australia as a result of the outcome of the first five intakes of the Fairbridge Bindjareb Project is approximately $2.9 million. According to the West Australia Department of Corrective Services,
Barrie Winmar Mentor Team Leader Fairbridge Bindjareb Project and graduate Rodney Rankins. Image supplied
in 2013-14, the daily average population of adult Aboriginal prisoners was 2,018, and the cost of keeping an adult offender in custody was $334 per day. Based on these figures, it can be estimated that the cost to WA of imprisoning Aboriginal people is over $108 million each year. While there have been many efforts to address this concern the rate of imprisonment continues to be at unacceptable levels. The reports demonstrate that the Fairbridge Bindjareb Project has been successful in lowering the recidivism rate and successfully moving young Aboriginal men
from being incarcerated and into employment therefore saving the WA tax payer $2.9 million to date. Fairbridge Bindjareb Graduate stated “I have been involved in the justice system from the age of 13 years old and I am now 34 years old and I have gone from juvenile detention into adult prison. This stretch I have been in prison for over 14 years and the government has spent over $3M locking me up for no benefit to either me or the community. The Bindjareb Project has changed my life and I now have a hope and future. My spirit has been healed and I have been
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reconnected back to myself and my culture. I am a good person and not what I have been told all my life and now is my time to shine and be a good example to my two daughters and my family. I want to make a positive difference and contribute back to my community.” Fairbridge Bindjareb Project was established from the initial seed of an idea from Aboriginal Elder Mr John Alexander who at that time had just retired from a national management role in the mining services industry and had joined the Board of Governors of Fairbridge. Through collaboration between the Aboriginal community, Bis Industries, Fairbridge Western Australia Inc. (Fairbridge), the Government of Western Australia and the Commonwealth Government of Australia the project was born. It exists to provide Aboriginal people currently engaged in the criminal justice system the ability to be employed as trainees and provided with industry training in a supportive environment that leads to real guaranteed jobs and real careers in the mining and related industries, in a way that leads to positive sustainable change in their lives and the lives of their families. Mr Alexander highlighted that “the Fairbridge Bindjareb Project clearly demonstrates that when you involve Aboriginal people in the solution, be willing to listen and engage with them as equal partners great things can happen. When people are given the appropriate support and children wake up and see their parents with a job, hope and a future lives, families and communities are changed.” Fairbridge is committed to
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providing a quality approach to its operations and ensuring an evidence-based approach to its program development, operation and ongoing improvement. In 2014 the organisation established the Fairbridge Centre for Social Innovation, WA (CSI), an independently managed not-forprofit research and evaluation centre based at Fairbridge Village in Western Australia’s Peel region. The CSI supports Fairbridge by systematically researching and evaluating its programs and services. The CSI aims to provide Fairbridge, the broader community sector and associated policy makers with a clear understanding of ‘what works and why’ to facilitate positive sustainable change in young peoples’ lives, and how notfor-profit programs and services can be improved. The Preliminary Review Report of the Fairbridge Bindjareb Project is the first formal report produced by the CSI. “It is imperative that we determine ‘what is working and why’ and share that knowledge with others and this could not be more important than in the area of Aboriginal engagement in the justice system. As a community we have spent millions of dollars each year and yet still today we have ongoing unacceptable high numbers and generational involvement of Aboriginal people in the justice system. This review provides evaluative evidence to show the results of the Fairbridge Bindjareb Project, with Aboriginal people being a key part of the solution. Not only is it resulting in breaking the cycle of recidivism but the cost benefit to our society is significant.” Prof Lyn Beazley is a Member of
the Fairbridge CSI Steering Group, Past Chief Scientist of Western Australia and WA Australian of the Year 2015. The key results from the report are: - 83% of participants completed the course compared with 67% of all 2012 Western Australian participants completing the same course (National Centre for Vocational Education Research, 2014); - 38% of participants increased Language, Literacy and Numeracy learning assessments a full level following participation in the 16 week Fairbridge Bindjareb Project which normally takes 12 months; - 73% of graduates gained employment compared to 47% of all 2013 Western Australian Vocational Education and Training graduates who were not employed when they began training; - 18% of graduates returned to prison after being released with only 4% for new offenses and 14% for breach of stringent parole requirements compared to a 42% recidivism rate for all prisoners and an estimated 60% recidivism rate for Aboriginal prisoners. Hon Joe Francis MLA Minister for Corrective Services noted “The State Government of Western Australia is committed to ensuring that whatever we do brings the desired results. It could be argued that in the past we have had limited results in breaking the cycle of generational engagement of Aboriginal people in the justice system and we need to do things differently. The Fairbridge Bindjareb Project is one example of the new way we need to focus our efforts.”