2018-06-07
Ms PENNICUIK (Southern Metropolitan) — My question is for the Minister for Corrections. Minister, since about August 2016 there has been a ban in Victorian prisons on prisoners being involved in organised penpal programs. Victoria is the only state that prevents prisoners from being involved in these programs, and in fact around the world they are very extensively used, including in the UK and the US, and some of them are not only actively encouraged by prison authorities but actually run by prison authorities. So Victoria is completely at odds in this respect. Clearly those penpal programs are of benefit for prisoners in terms of mental health and wellbeing, rehabilitation and reintegration into the community, and even in improving literacy et cetera and providing connections for people who do not have a lot of family or friends to write to. So, Minister, is this ban still in place, and if so, why is it?
Ms TIERNEY (Minister for Corrections) — I thank Ms Pennicuik for raising this issue. This is an issue that has been raised fairly recently, and I am advised that Corrections Victoria does encourage prisoners to correspond with family and friends by letters and in certain circumstances may allow them to have penpals that are not affiliated with an organised penpal program.
We recognise and encourage contact with family and other positive people in prisoners lives as a beneficial method to rehabilitate them. Corrections Victoria currently does not facilitate a formal program that would allow community members to form a penpal relationship with a prisoner and does not allow prisoners to take part in external organised penpal programs. It is acknowledged that maintaining communication with people outside of prison can enhance prisoner mental health and rehabilitation; however, communicating with a previously unknown prisoner can present a range of risks for community members. The safety of the community and the prevention of emotional and other exploitation of vulnerable people continues to be of paramount importance.
Ms PENNICUIK (Southern Metropolitan) — Thank you for your answer, Minister, which basically repeated my question to a large extent, but I take up the reason that you gave me — that it poses a risk to prison safety. This is not the case in any prison in any state but Victoria or in the US or in the UK. In fact I draw your attention to section 47 of the Corrections Act 1986 and in particular section 47(1)(n), which provides for prisoners to be able to write to people outside the prison, including people that they do not know, and section 47D, which allows prison authorities to censor letters and to prevent letters if they present a risk to the safety of the prison or other people. So, Minister, will you cause this ban to be lifted because it contravenes section 47 of the act?
Ms TIERNEY (Minister for Corrections) — Again I thank Ms Pennicuik for her question. As I said, this is a relatively new issue that has been raised with me, and it does have a number of aspects to it. I can advise Ms Pennicuik that this is a live issue for me and that I have requested further information.