The ACT Women and Prisons Group advocates for the human rights of all women involved in the criminal justice system. The Group was formed in 2005 and is a not-for-profit, community peer support group.

Members work alongside women with lived experience of the criminal justice system to advocate their rights, to provide emotional and practical support and to inform them about relevant women’s services. The Group advocates for the rehabilitation of women in prison. They believe this can only be achieved by ensuring that:

the prison environment is conducive to rehabilitation;
and women have ongoing access to relevant services which address their needs. They seek to endure that women prisoners have equal access to all health services currently provided within the local community.

They seek to ensure that, on release from prison, all women have a Medicare card, identification, a social security card and payment in place. Above all, they advocate to ensure that women have a home to go to on exit. Please view their information Brochure. The ACT Women and Prisons can be contacted:

Deb Wybron C/o Women’s Centre for Health Matters Inc.

PO Box 385, Mawson, Act 2607.

Mobile: 0400 480 007

Email Deb

(In May 2008, as part of the CES series of prison forums, Deb Wybron gave an interview to the CES)

Alternatives to Violence workshops

The Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) is a network of independent not-for-profit grass-roots volunteer groups offering experiential workshops on creative conflict transformation in prisons, schools, and the wider community.

These workshops empower individuals to liberate themselves and others from the burden of violence. The fundamental belief of AVP is that there is a power for peace and good in everyone, and that this power has the ability to transform violence. AVP builds on a spiritual basis of respecting and caring for self and others. In the ACT AVP is running Alternative to Violence workshops. (Details).

Contact: David Lance 6251 0037

Email David. Visit their Website and view their Workshop details and Registration form.

Kairos Prison Ministry

Kairos Prison Ministry Australia is an interdenominational Christian ministry reaching out to incarcerated individuals, their families and those who work with them; to bring sustainable meaning and hope in the place of loneliness, isolation and despair.

It runs programs inside prisons (Kairos Inside). Out of recognition that the families of those incarcerated often have as many problems as those inside, Kairos also provides support for families outside (Kairos Outside).

Contact: Dennis Terracini 6287 3164 email
Contact for Kairos Outside: Carol Hibberson 6254 1851 email
Visit their Website.

Prison Fellowship Australia

This is a chartered ministry of Prison Fellowship International, a network of more than one hundred affiliated national ministries committed to serving inmates, ex-inmates, crime victims and families. It is active in many NSW prisons including Goulburn Correctional Centre

Telephone: 02 9896 1255

Fax: 02 9896 1244

Postal address: PO Box 411, Toongabbie NSW 2146
Street address Brigade House, 3 Junia Ave, Toongabbie, NSW 2146

Executive Director: Ian Minnis;

Coordinator of Projects: Ann-Marie Dale

Coordinator of Volunteers: Neil Turner

Visit their Website

Remember, by simply becoming an informed and questioning member of the community about the impact of what our democratic governments do in our name in corrections is also practical involvement.

Note:

If you know of other potential support groups either local or nationally let us know and we will attempt to list them here.

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