The importance of effective reintegration support for individuals leaving custody has been identified through a rapidly expanding research base. In Queensland, people on remand make up nearly 40% of the entire prison population with up to half of these individuals released on the day of their court appearance. Remanded prisoners have significantly reduced access to reintegration support while in custody. This means a substantial number of all people in the care of corrective services are exposed to a criminogenic environment, without the rehabilitative support offered through reintegration planning and assistance. There remains an absence of research identifying what kinds of specific reintegration support would best assist people on remand.
This study adopted a phenomenological methodology to understand the experiences of individuals on remand, as well as how these experiences impact their perceived readiness and preparedness for release. Semi-structured interviews were completed with 19 participants in a Queensland prison. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was utilised, incorporating individual and cross-case analysis, to identify both Personal and Group Experiential Themes. Findings from this study will be discussed at the conference. Practical recommendations for corrective services to enhance the reintegration support available to people on remand will be also discussed. In doing so, the project aims to amplify the voices of vulnerable individuals involved in the criminal justice system, while building knowledge of the needs of this population to bridge the current gap between remand and reintegration.
Presenters
Chantelle Chatham
– PhD Candidate, Central Queensland University
Chantelle is a PhD candidate at Central Queensland University studying in the field of Criminology. Alongside her candidature, Chantelle has spent the past five years working at Queensland Corrective Services in both front-line and advisory roles, supporting individuals who are transitioning from custody to the community. During this time, Chantelle has seen some of the challenges experienced by individuals released from remand and this, paired with her drive for evidence-based practice, has motivated her further studies. Chantelle seeks to enhance understanding of this under-researched area through applied research, acting as a conduit between academia and industry to improve outcomes for people involved in the criminal justice system.
