A new rehabilitation program designed to break the cycle of addiction to alcohol and other drugs has just graduated its first 52 prisoners at Casuarina Prison.
The nine-month program, Solid Steps, was developed by the Department of Justice in conjunction with the Palmerston Association and Wungening Aboriginal Corporation.
Director General of the Department, Adam Tomison said the Program was the first of its kind to be delivered in an adult male prison in Western Australia.
“The participating prisoners were all volunteers from a number of sites across the prison network,” Dr Tomison said.
“They were housed at the stand-alone Mallee Rehabilitation Unit within the maximum-security prison,” he said.
“Breaking the cycle of addiction is critical to improving community safety in the longer term.”
Dr Tomison said Solid Steps aimed to deliver a holistic program which enabled prisoners to reduce their alcohol and drug dependence by developing strategies and skills to address risky, harmful and destructive behaviour that led to poor choices and criminality.
“The Program is based on a culturally safe, modified therapeutic community model,” the Director General said.
“It also strengthens connection to self, family, culture and community.”
He said Solid Steps was delivered five days a week by trained health experts, counsellors and support staff and just over 40 per cent of the Program’s participants were Aboriginal.
Dr Tomison said support for Program graduates would continue beyond the prison.
“A comprehensive through-care framework has been developed to support the participants’ recovery journey, whether they are transitioning back into the community or remaining in custody for now,” he said.
“There’s no sugar-coating the reality that breaking addiction to alcohol or drugs is hard — really hard — and it isn’t always achieved on the first attempt.”
Dr Tomison said however that by investing in programs like Solid Steps, the Department hoped to drive recidivism rates down.
He said the Solid Steps program continues at the Mallee Unit with rolling intakes every four-to-six weeks.
