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JSS BANNER 1. PRISON IS NOT A HEALTHY PLACE. ANEX HARM REDUCTION CONFERENCE 2004 PETER NORDEN, S.J. POLICY DIRECTOR JESUIT SOCIAL SERVICES. CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
JSS BANNER 1
PRISON IS NOT A HEALTHY PLACE
ANEX HARM REDUCTION
CONFERENCE 2004
PETER NORDEN, S.J.
POLICY DIRECTOR
JESUIT SOCIAL SERVICES
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS BEING USED
AS AN INSTRUMENT OF SOCIAL CONTROL BY THE
STATE, AND THE VICTIMS ARE THE POOR, THE
HOMELESS, THE LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYED, THE
MENTALLY ILL, AND THOSE WHO SELF-MEDICATE
TO EASE THE PAIN.
HEPATITIS C VIRUS AMONG INMATES IN VICTORIAN
CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES
THE LATEST SURVEY OF VICTORIAN PRISONERS, COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER 2002, DISCOVERED THAT:
57.5% OF THOSE SURVEYED (362 OF 642) HAD CONTRACTED HCV.
68.6% OF THE PRISONERS SURVEYED REPORTED HAVING INJECTED DRUGS, OF WHICH 79.1% WERE HCV POSITIVE.
74.9% OF PRISONERS WHO HAD EVER INJECTED DRUGS REPORTED INJECTING DRUGS WHILE IN PRISON.
PRISONS: THE NEW ASYLUMS
IN THE DECADE FROM 1990 TO THE YEAR 2000, THERE WAS A 32% INCREASE IN THE RATE OF IMPRISONMENT.
THIS REPRESENTED AN INCREASE OF 52% IN THE TOTAL PRISON POPULATION .
OUR RESEARCH LAST YEAR, FOUND THAT IN THE LAST DECADE IN VICTORIA, THERE HAD BEEN A 138% INCREASE ON PRISON EXPENDITURE, THE EQUIVALENT INCREASE FOR THE STATE’S MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES WAS ONLY 88% .
NATIONALLY, THE RECURRENT EXPENDITURE ON CORRECTIVE SERVICES TOTALLED $1.5 BILLION FOR 2000-01, WITH $1.3 BILLION BEING SPENT ON THE OPERATION OF THE COUNTRY’S 96 PRISONS .
VICTORIAN PRISONER HEALTH STUDY
36% OF THE PRISONERS WHO WERE SURVEYED HAD BEEN TOLD THAT THEY HAD A MENTAL ILLNESS.
15% OF THE PRISONERS QUESTIONED REPORTED THAT THEY WERE CURRENTLY RECEIVING MEDICATION.
VICTORIAN PRISONER HEALTH STUDY – CONT’D
ALMOST 27% OF THE PRISON POPULATION MET THE CUT-OFF SCORE FOR ‘PSYCHIATRIC DISTURBANCE AS A RESULT OF ‘DEPRESSION’ ON THE REFERRAL DECISION SCALE.
MORE THAN 15% OF PRISONERS HAD BEEN ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL FOR THIS PROBLEM.
MORE THAN 30% OF THE PRISONERS QUESTIONED HAD ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.
GEOGRAPHICAL CONCENTRATION OF PRISON POPULATION
IN VICTORIA, 25% OF THE CURRENT PRISON
POPULATION CAME FROM JUST 2.1% OF THE 647
POSTCODES IN THIS STATE, AND HALF OF THE
PRISON POPULATION CAME FROM JUST 7.3% OF
POSTCODES.
CONCLUSION
THE PRISONS ARE BEING ASKED TO DEAL WITH
SUBSTANTIAL GENERAL HEALTH AND MENTAL
HEALTH NEEDS OF THE WIDER SOCIETY AND IS
BEING FORCED TO EXTEND ITS RESPONSIBILITIES
IN RESPONDING TO SERIOUS CRIMINAL OFFENCES.
JSS BANNER 2