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FORUM on Corrections Research
Education in Australian Prisons
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In light of findings that more than a quarter of Australian offenders had only elementary schooling, the
provision of education, particularly vocational instruction, has become a priority in Australian
corrections. Australia is made up of six self-governed states and two territories. As in Canada, there is also a federal government. Unlike Canada, however, Australia does not have a federal correctional system. Instead, offenders sentenced under the National Crime Act are incarcerated in the state in which they live. The following is an overview of prison education in each Australian state, with the exception of Queensland and the Northern Territory, on which no recent information was available. Victoria Victoria's prison system has recently undergone major changes in its delivery of education programs. In the past, primary school teachers who were trained to work with special students taught basic education and assisted inmates with correspondence courses at secondary and postsecondary levels. In view of the emphasis on vocational education in other Australian states, Victoria's prison education system has now been transferred to colleges of technical and further education (TAFE). TAFE colleges offer inmates certificates in occupational and more advanced studies. Offenders who meet the basic numeracy and literacy requirements can enrol in the certificate program, which involves 400 hours of mandatory courses (e.g., career planning, communications, mathematics, technology) and 500 hours of optional courses (e.g., horticulture, textiles, automotive). Although the program does not offer on-the-job training, it does provide training and information on a wide variety of occupations to enable inmates to be well informed about employment possibilities. New South Wales At Parklea, New South Wales' new maximum security institution, the accent is on training and industry. In conjunction with TAFE, Parklea offers a nine-month apprenticeship trade-training program in fitting and machining, sheet metalwork, welding, and wood machining. Inmates receive theoretical instruction by TAFE instructors once a week and perform supervised practical work for prison industry contracts during the remainder of the week. Courses completed by inmates are credited as equivalent to those taken in community TAFE colleges. Offenders who are to be transferred from Parklea to a lower-security institution may still pursue their studies, either by staying at Parklea for a longer period of time or by completing further courses once they have relocated. New South Wales' medium security institution, Bathurst, offers basic, secondary, and postsecondary education programs and an apprenticeship program in metal and timber trades. The apprenticeship program takes four years to complete; however, because of the length of their sentences, offenders usually complete only the first stage, or one year, of the program. For this reason, inmates who wish to participate in the apprenticeship program must be serving at least a one-year sentence. While the program has no entry prerequisites, offenders may take prevocational courses before enroling if they wish. The apprenticeship program combines theoretical instruction by TAFE instructors (two days per week) and practical, supervised, simulated industrial training (three days per week). More than 40 offenders complete stage one of the apprenticeship program every year. The small class sizes facilitate the success of the program. Western Australia Fourteen of Western Australia's 15 prisons offer education programs that encourage the academic, vocational and personal development of offenders. Western Australia's prison system is unique in that aboriginal offenders make up approximately one third of the offender population. While efforts have been made to offer appropriate courses for these offenders, the development of relevant programs will require the involvement of more aboriginal communities and agencies. In many of the state's prisons, correspondence courses in advanced studies and short-term, trade skills courses are available to inmates. In addition, institutions in southern Western Australia offer an apprenticeship program for long-term offenders. Provided they have achieved basic education skills, offenders with two years remaining to serve can enrol in instruction in trades: boot making, butchery, cabinet making, metal fabrication, and motor mechanics. As in some other Australian states, continuity of training and courses is problematic if the offender is transferred to another institution. South Australia Yatala, South Australia's maximum security prison, puts a strong emphasis on prison industries, including welding, motor mechanics, spray painting, and boot making and shoemaking. Most of the inmates' daytime hours are spent working in the industries. While education is available, it is limited to basic literacy and numeracy. On the other hand, the emphasis at Mobilong, the medium security institution, is more on training than profit. In fact, each inmate's schedule must allow for both training and work. Two days per week are devoted to industry; the prison offers industry experience in plastics, baking, and auto work. A TAFE college provides various courses (e.g., aboriginal history, desktop publishing, guitar, health care, sign writing) twice a week, and the remaining day of the week is left for the inmates' personal activities. All TAFE courses are short-term, with end-product certification in order to promote a sense of practical accomplishment. The courses offered are at a prevocational level as prison facilities cannot provide adequate supervision for a large number of apprentices. Here again, continued training cannot be guaranteed if the inmate is transferred to another institution. At another of South Australia's institutions, Cadell, classes are attended mainly in the evening, as work in the prison industries must be done during the day. Classes are shared with members of the community and correctional staff. Programs for female offenders at South Australia's institutions for women are not as varied as those for male offenders. Furthermore, the programs tend to be domestic in nature. For example, the women's prison at Northfield offers courses in cooking, horticulture, and sewing. The statement of completion has no value on the job market and does not lead to further training. This problem is not unique to South Australia. Tasmania Tasmania has only one secure institution and a farm institution, with a total prison population of approximately 300 offenders. The teacher at the prison teaches basic education and assists students in secondary and postsecondary correspondence courses. Apprenticeship is offered in the prison bakery, and skills training is available in tailoring, welding, and upholstery. In addition, short, prerelease courses are offered to develop community survival skills such as living on a limited budget, cooking, and leisure activities. Conclusion The focus of education in Australian corrections is on vocational education, partly because the ability of offenders to capitalize on job opportunities in the labour market is seen as a key factor in their rehabilitation. Although many vocational programs are available in Australian prisons, there is a lack of continuity of courses between institutions for offenders who have been transferred and wish to pursue their education. Another problem is that because prison industry is required to not compete with outside industry, some offenders acquire work experience that bears little relevance to the work available in the community. Semmens, R.A. (1990). Some Issues in Prison Education in Australia. In S. Duguid, ed., Yearbook of Correctional Education, pp.1-12. Burnaby, British Columbia: Simon Fraser University. |
