Corrections Victoria has launched a three-year program to give women in prison increased support to maintain and strengthen family ties.
Minister for Corrections, Natalie Hutchins said the Family Visits Program aimed to help reduce reoffending and keep women out of prison when they returned to the community.
“The Family Visits Program supplements existing personal visits and targets women who are seeking family reunification or strengthened family ties,” Ms Hutchins said.
“Strong family bonds are one of the key factors in reducing a person’s risk of reoffending after release from prison,” she said.
“The Program connects female prisoners with their families via fortnightly or weekly visits.”
Ms Hutchins said supporting women and participating families to positively engage with each other could improve children’s happiness and wellbeing; increase women’s confidence in their parenting abilities; and improve reintegration outcomes for women leaving prison.
The Minister said participants of the Program, both the women in prison and their family members in the community, would receive intensive support from the Family Visits Program workers to build their capacity for positive communication and to make family decisions as women prepared to transition back to their families.
She said the Program’s rollout followed a successful pilot and would be in place at Tarrengower Prison and the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre.
Ms Hutchins said the Program would be delivered by the Victorian Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (VACRO).
