Opening Slide
SOCIAL POLICY SEMINAR
Presentation by
Peter Norden, SJPolicy Director
Jesuit Social Services
to
Department ofPremier and Cabinet
Melbourne, 16 December 2005
SD/CJ Relationship
Their Inter-relationship and Impact on
Public Health and Wealth
CRIMINALJUSTICE
Jesuit Social ServicesStanding in solidarity with those in needExpressing a faith that promotes justice
SOCIALDISADVANTAGE
CAR Main PointsJesuit Social ServicesStanding in solidarity with those in needExpressing a faith that promotes justice
Positive impact of social cohesion
Strong correlations between disadvantage factors
Poverty concentrated and entrenched in certain areas
Measures social disadvantage by postcode area in Vic and New South Wales
Social Disadvantage
CAR Disadvantage FactorsJesuit Social Services
Standing in solidarity with those in needExpressing a faith that promotes justice
Social Disadvantage Factors
Low Birth Weight
Low Work Skills
Court ConvictionsYear 12 Incomplete
MortalityEarly School Leaving
Disability/Sickness AllowanceLow Family Income
Psychiatric Hosp. AdmissionsLong Term Unemployment
Child NeglectUnemployment
Imprisonment
CAR Map VicJesuit Social ServicesStanding in solidarity with those in needExpressing a faith that promotes justice
Social Comparison – Vic
Unequal in Life
Source: Vinson, T., Community, Adversity & Resilience, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne, 2004, [Map 4]
DisadvantageDegree of DisadvantageMiddle rangeDegree of AdvantageAdvantageAll others
CAR Map MelbJesuit Social ServicesStanding in solidarity with those in needExpressing a faith that promotes justice
Social Comparison – Melbourne
Source: Vinson, T., Community, Adversity & Resilience, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne, 2004, [Map 5]
Unequal in Life
DisadvantageDegree of DisadvantageMiddle rangeDegree of AdvantageAdvantageAll others
CAR Spac Comp Vic 1Jesuit Social ServicesStanding in solidarity with those in needExpressing a faith that promotes justice
Spatial Compression of DisadvantagePercentage of Victorian Postcode areas needed to account for 25% and 50% of instances of each form of disadvantage
TO REACH
25%
TO REACH50%
Imprisonment 2.1 7.3
Child NeglectLong Term Unemployment
2.72.9
8.3 8.9
Psychiatric Hospital Admissions
3.5 10.6
Disability/Sickness Allowance
3.6 11.2
Court Convictions 3.9 11.1
Source: Vinson, T., Community, Adversity & Resilience, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne, 2004, p. 48N = 647
CAR Spac Comp Vic 2Jesuit Social ServicesStanding in solidarity with those in needExpressing a faith that promotes justice
Spatial Compression of Disadvantage (cont’d)
TO REACH25%
TO REACH50%
Low Birth Weight 3.9 11.6
Year 12 Incomplete 3.9 11.8
Unemployment 4.1 11.3
Low Work Skills 4.2 11.6
Early School Leaving 4.4 12.4
Low Family Income 4.5 12.9
Mortality 4.8 13.3
Source: Vinson, T., Community, Adversity & Resilience, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne, 2004, p. 48N = 647
CAR Social Cohesion FactorsJesuit Social Services
Standing in solidarity with those in needExpressing a faith that promotes justice
Social Cohesion Factors
Source: Vinson, T., Community, Adversity & Resilience, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne, 2004, p. 46
Availability of informal help
Volunteering
Participation in organised recreation/sports groups
CAR Low Inc/Imp SC compJesuit Social Services
Standing in solidarity with those in needExpressing a faith that promotes justice
Community Development Interventions Drives a Wedge in the Cycle of
Disadvantage
Across local populations
LOW FAMILY
INCOME
and
IMPRISONMENT
are strongly connected
(0.55**)
Connectiongrows
stronger(0.62)
Low social
cohesionwith
Connectionsignificantly
weakens(0.18)
withHigh social
cohesion
N = 277
**Significant at .01 levelSource: Vinson, T., Community, Adversity & Resilience, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne, 2004, p. 79
CAR Unemp/Imp SC compJesuit Social ServicesStanding in solidarity with those in needExpressing a faith that promotes justice
Across local populations
UNEMPLOYMENT
and
IMPRISONMENT
are strongly connected
(0.65**)
Connectiongrows
stronger(0.75)
Low social
cohesionwith
Connectionsignificantly
weakens(0.22)
withHigh social
cohesion
N = 277
Impact of Community Development Interventions (contd)
Source: Vinson, T., Community, Adversity & Resilience, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne, 2004, p. 79
**Significant at .01 level
CAR Early Sch/Unemp SC comp Jesuit Social Services
Standing in solidarity with those in needExpressing a faith that promotes justice
Across local populations
EARLY SCHOOL
LEAVING
and
UNEMPLOYMENT
are strongly connected
(0.64**)
Connectionremains strong(0.63)
Low social
cohesionwith
Connectionsignificantly
weakens(0.28)
withHigh social
cohesion
N = 277
Impact of Community Development Interventions (contd)
Source: Vinson, T., Community, Adversity & Resilience, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne, 2004, p. 79
**Significant at .01 level
CAR Unemp/Child Neglect SC compJesuit Social Services
Standing in solidarity with those in needExpressing a faith that promotes justice
Across local populations
UNEMPLOYMENT
and
CHILD NEGLECT
are strongly connected
(0.68**)
Connectionremains
high(0.56)
Low social
cohesionwith
Connection drops(0.40)
withHigh social
cohesion
N = 277
Impact of Community Development Interventions (contd)
Source: Vinson, T., Community, Adversity & Resilience, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne, 2004, p. 79
**Significant at .01 level
Criminal Justice Main PointsJesuit Social Services
Standing in solidarity with those in needExpressing a faith that promotes justice
Impact on general public
Health of prisoners
Custodial remand
Imbalance between crime and prison rates
Criminal Justice
Chart, crime/prison ratesJesuit Social ServicesStanding in solidarity with those in needExpressing a faith that promotes justice
-
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
All prisoners
Sentencedprisoners
Unsentencedprisoners
Prisoners Australia 1994 - 2004
Crime rates in Australia per 100,000 population. 1996- 2003
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Violent crime rate
Property crime rate
Crime Rate Australia 1996-2003
per 100,000 population
Crime rate
down
but
Prison rate up
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2004), Prisoners in Australia, ABS, Cat No 4517.0, Table 16, p. 31.
Source: Crime Statistics. Australian Institute of Criminology. Australian crime. Facts and figures 2004
Chart, increase in Remand Pop - Vic
Jesuit Social ServicesStanding in solidarity with those in needExpressing a faith that promotes justice
Increase in Remand Population
- VicVictorian prison population, cumulative percentage change per 100,000 adults: 1994-2004
-20%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Total prisonpopulation
Totalsentencedpopulation
Total remandpopulation
Remand FactorsJesuit Social ServicesStanding in solidarity with those in needExpressing a faith that promotes justice
Other:- Lack of stable accommodation and income
Institutional Factors:- increased time on remand
Crime:- common offences committed by remand population
Factors contributing to increase in unsentenced prison population
Crime and Custodial Remand in Victoria: Average annual percentage change 2001-2004Offence Unsentenced
prisoners per100,000 adults
Total crime per
100,000 persons
Percentage of remand
population (2004)
Murder 6.28% -8.07% 16.5%
Kidnapping/Abduction 5.76% -2.15% 2.81%
Unlawful Entry with Intent
4.25% -9.61% 16.5%
Theft & related offences 7.29% -8.15% 5.94%
Illicit Drug Offences 10.4% -1.6% 17.9%
Robbery, Extortion, etc. -5.03% -16.15% 16.83%
Assault -17.45% -0.05% 3.30%
Sexual Assault -9.67% -1.31% 7.43%
Jesuit Social ServicesStanding in solidarity with those in needExpressing a faith that promotes justice
Crime and Custodial Remand
Impact of RemandJesuit Social ServicesStanding in solidarity with those in needExpressing a faith that promotes justice
Disruption from social support networks and commitments to family
Increased likelihood of guilty plea, or longer sentence
Likelihood of assault
Impact of Custodial Remand
Deprivation of civil liberties due to remand in maximum security prisons
Increased risk to health and general wellbeing
Financial Cost of RemandJesuit Social ServicesStanding in solidarity with those in needExpressing a faith that promotes justice
Financial Costs of Custodial Remand
$214 million spent on Victorian prisons (2003-4)
Average cost per prisoner per day = $204.10
High Rates of Mental Illness
Jesuit Social ServicesStanding in solidarity with those in needExpressing a faith that promotes justice
High Rates of Prisoners with Mental Illness
Source: Victorian Prisoner Health Studies, DOJ, Feb 2003, p.30 & 36.
26% of prisoners met criteria for mental illness
20% met criteria for Major Depression
8% met criteria for Manic Depression (Bipolar)
7% met criteria for Schizophrenia
30% of prisoners surveyed had attempted suicide
High Rates of Hec CJesuit Social ServicesStanding in solidarity with those in needExpressing a faith that promotes justice
High Rates of Prisoners with Hepatitis C
58% of prisoners tested positive for Hep C Virus
69% of prisoners admit to injecting drugs
18.5% increase in prisoners found to be HCV carriers
Source: Victorian Prisoner Health Studies, DOJ, Feb 2003, p. 90
Impact on PublicJesuit Social ServicesStanding in solidarity with those in needExpressing a faith that promotes justice
Impact on General Public
Increased expenditure on Vic Prison system
Increased risk of Hepatitis C Infection- over 220,000 Australians already infected- 16,000 new infections each year
Increased welfare payments to dependants of remand prisoners
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