Barriers to Social and Economic inclusion for those leaving prison

Abstract

Poverty, being a ward of the state, Aboriginality, lack of secure home due to abuse or other negative factors, drug abuse, mental illness, intellectual and learning disabilities, debt, unemployment, lack of education and poor social skills and social isolation are all factors over-represented amongst those facing criminal court, those in juvenile detention and adult prisons and amongst partners and families of prisoners. (Baldry 2001) Policy responses to these very serious forms of cumulative disadvantages associated with a large number of those in prison and thus of those being released from prisons have been long on rhetoric but short on action. On the whole people in these situations have been treated as if their problems were entirely due to individual failings and pathologies and the remedies have been equally based on individual treatments and crisis interventions.