Research into gender-responsive (GR) practice has highlighted the need for women-specific support within carceral structures, yet, despite such advancements, few Australian studies have applied GR schemas to reintegration and community-based literature. This project explored how women and service deliverers in South Australia experience the Home Detention Integrated Support Services Program (HISSP), delivered by OARS Community Transitions and funded by the Department for Corrections. Recent HISSP reviews have failed to account for women’s perspectives; therefore, the following project aimed to unearth to what extent the reflections of service receivers and deliverers align with GR theory. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews and a focus group session with 11 HISSP-involved women and 9 HISSP service deliverers. Data was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings suggest that despite HISSP’s representation as a gender-neutral support model and efficacy in reducing recidivism, its ability to account for the complexities of women remains limited. Women suggested that the support they received was contingent upon the trust they developed with their service deliverer and the level of self-determination they were afforded accessing and receiving support. Moreover, service deliverers highlighted mixed reviews of the HISSP’s effectiveness and attributed the complexities women encounter or the difficulties they face in providing holistic support to a system-wide disconnect. These findings suggest that reintegration and rehabilitative prospects for women are not working as intended due to a history of patriarchal systems that have dominated research within criminal justice spaces and failed to focus on their complicity in perpetuating cycles of ineffective women-focused support.
Presenters
Sabrina holds a degree in Psychological Science from La Trobe University and recently graduated with her honours in Criminology from Flinders University. She currently works as a Research Assistant at the Telethon Kids Institute, where she is part of the Adolescent Health and Wellbeing Team.
Her academic journey began with her industry-targeted honours project in 2023, which explored the experiences of women receiving support during their community-based sentences; specifically, she looked at the Home Detention Integrated Support Services Program (HISSP) delivered by OARS CT.
Sabrina is continually inspired by the impact of research and deeply values the education she’s received. Through her work (current and continuing), she aims to empower and advocate for individuals within her communities.
