A new Hunter-based pilot program is expected to give women leaving prison the best chance at rebuilding their lives.
The unprecedented intensive support initiative will bolster rehabilitation and reduce reoffending by providing much-needed accommodation at a Port Stephens residential facility, as well as employment in the region.
To be delivered through a partnership between Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) and not-for-profit Embrace People & Place (Embrace), the first cohort appears set to be housed in 2026.
The scheme is largely-funded by a donation from the Ian & Shirley Norman Foundation, which has pledged $5.7 million over three years for its operation.
“This collaboration demonstrates the government’s commitment to keeping our communities safe by enhancing rehabilitative outcomes,” Minister for Corrections Anoulack Chanthivong said.
“We need to offer initiatives that acknowledge and respond to the unique experiences of women who enter custody.
“We know that their pathways to criminal behaviour are often a result of abuse, disadvantage and trauma.
“So, this project will support community safety in an effective and meaningful way.”
The program provides six months of pre-release support to eligible women with a focus on identifying and addressing their needs.
It includes securing stable housing, navigating full-time employment, as well as obtaining identity documents and accessing vital services such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
And, after they’ve left custody, it also plans to offer support for up to two years with a focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
“Our values centre on dignity, connection and possibility for every person in our region,” Embrace People & Place founder and chair Tracy Norman said.
“We have built the Women in Community program because it reflects exactly what we stand for.
“That is creating pathways for people to rebuild, reconnect and belong.
“Supporting women as they return to community life isn’t just the right thing to do.
“It strengthens the whole region and embodies the kind of compassionate, empowered Hunter we believe in.”
Education and skills training play an important role in reducing recidivism, too, with BOCSAR data from 2021 revealing that 12 months after inmate trainees were released from custody, there was a 45% reduction in property offending among all groups of novices.
“Women in prison are already disproportionately impacted by intergenerational trauma, poverty and domestic, family and sexual violence,” Port Stephens MP Kate Washington said.
“When they leave prison, it’s very difficult for them to find a positive path without the right support.
“So, this is an important pilot, which will give women in the Hunter a second chance to build a better future.”
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