In Australia, there are well-established links between women's experiences of Family and Domestic Violence (FDV) and imprisonment. Between 70–90% of women in custody have a history of Family Violence. This increases to 75–90% of incarcerated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. (ALRC, 2017); and we know that this has an impact on criminogenic behaviour.
The Leave Safe Stay Safe (LSSS) program is an initiative being piloted in both a metropolitan and regional women’s prison in Western Australia. The program supports women in prison, who have experienced Family Violence in the 6 months prior to entering prison to understand the impact FDV has on them and their children, understand the options available to them to break free from violence, and provides proactive and intensive social and legal support to help them break the cycle.
The women have access to a 12-week course (group) where they can learn and share their experiences. They also have 1:1 casework support and counselling, and access to a free Lawyer to support with FVROs, child custody arrangements, divorce, property settlement, and any other issue that supports the woman to leave the violent relationship. This support continues for up to 12 months post-release, with the same caseworker and lawyer for consistency and continuity.
The program has been running for 6 months and has seen massive outcomes for the women both whilst they in prison, and once they are released. Our presentation will showcase the program, and the outcomes that have been achieved to date.
Presenters
Sarah Patterson
– Chief Executive Officer, Gosnells Community Legal Centre (inc.)
Sarah is the CEO of Gosnells Community Legal Centre, a Justice of the Peace, and previous Councillor with the City of Gosnells. Sarah has over a decade of experience in organisational leadership and creating innovative solutions to complex systemic problems in the areas of Financial Disadvantage, Law and Justice, and Family Violence.
Sarah has a Masters degree in Business Leadership, Undergraduate degrees in Aboriginal Studies and Communications, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Chris Gabelish
– Operations Manager, Regional Alliance West
Chris Gabelish is the Operations Manager at Regional Alliance West (RAW) and has worked at RAW for the past 26 years. RAW services are provided over a 600 000sqkm area, twice the land mass of New Zealand, with an office in Geraldton and Carnarvon, the Carnarvon office being 470km from our Geraldton office
RAW services include emergency relief, homelessness programs, financial capability and financial counselling, tenant advocacy, community legal and Indigenous women’s legal services, counselling, prisoner reintegration and the Leave Safe, Stay Safe program.
RAW contributes to numerous networks, policy and law reform and community advocacy.
Previously, Chris has worked in the juvenile justice and community development space and is celebrating his 41st year in delivering human services to people facing disadvantage.
Chris has previously been a Councillor for 15 years in Geraldton and is a current board member of Community Legal WA.
In 2022, Chris was given the Reintegration Champion award “For sustained significant contribution to finding ways of making it work”
