Enabling Justice Project

Jesuit Social Services &

Centre for Innovative Justice

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Enabling Justice Project

Brigid Henley

Coordinator, Adult Justice

Special Projects

Jesuit Social Services

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Justice User Group

Membership – people with an ABI

who have experienced the CJS

and/or their families and carers.

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Justice User Group –

A Self Advocacy Group

• Experiences of criminal justice system

(CJS)

• Ideas and changes to CJS

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Voices of marginalised Enhanced individual advocacy

Justice User Group - Goals

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Justice User Group

• Six members – five men and one woman (recently joined) • Mixed Gender

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• Members inducted into Jesuit Social Services as

Consumer Advocates • Code of Conduct, Mission, Vision and Values • Group Rules and Teamwork • Professional relationships

Approach to Justice User Group

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Group Facilitation – Strategies Informed by knowledge of impacts of ABI on executive functioning and behaviour:

- Informal, structured, flexible - Group rules and group cohesion - Regular breaks/food - Consistent meeting time/place - Limit distractions - Repeat, re-cap

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• Transport • Food • Payment • Welcome Packs • Phone-calls, texts

Support for Group Members

Meetings

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Participant Profiles P1: Male, released early this year, late 40’s, housed in a THM in Ballarat, ABI as a result of motorbike accident and/or drug use, socially isolated, bi-polar, alcohol use, methadone. P2: Female, supported accommodation, ABI as a result of family violence as a child, repeat victimisation, incarcerated several years ago.

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• Brokerage for Justice User Group members • Jesuit Community College - Employment Program

Ready Set Work Referrals • Regular catch-ups Checking in with Case

Managers • Regular catch-up – Coordinator, Jesuit Social

Services

Responding to Issues and Challenges

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Supported Self-Advocacy Themes

• Policing • Court • Housing • Lack of ongoing support/case management • Repeat victimisation – violence • Memory problems

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Self-Advocacy • Internal – targeting people with and ABI in

the criminal justice system. • Stakeholder – targeting system – police,

magistrates, court staff, prison officers. • Community – improving community

awareness of ABI and criminal justice system

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Self-Advocacy Tasks • Campaigns - artwork, events, meetings,

public speaking. • Media – newspaper articles, radio. • Digital storytelling – educational resources

for prison staff, court staff, magistrates etc.

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Thank you.

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