A special unit to respond to women’s mental health needs
(Rules 12–13, Chapter 4)
A special mental health unit for women has opened in Western Australia. The new facility – called Bindi Bindi, the Aboriginal Noongar word for butterfly - will be accessible to the 618 women currently in prison across the state, of which nearly half are Indigenous. The Bindi Bindi unit includes 23 beds for women whose mental health needs cannot be met in mainstream units, and a secure wing with six beds for women with more serious mental health concerns.
Women are expected to stay for between six and eight weeks and receive a range of trauma recovery services. Staff employed at the unit have received special training and the facility was designed to reduce the risk of self-harm and suicide by minimising ligature points.
For more information see:
‘A special mental health unit for incarcerated women has opened in Western Australia’, Aaron Fernandes for SBS News
Therapeutic communities for women with substance dependence
(Rule 42, Chapter 7)
Wandoo is a dedicated alcohol and drug rehabilitation prison for women in Perth and the first female prison in Western Australia to run an intense rehabilitation programme, known as a ‘therapeutic community’. The facility can treat up to 77 selected minimum- and medium-security women, who must demonstrate a desire to treat their addiction. The focus of Wandoo is to offer a supportive environment where women can break the cycle of addiction and drug-related offending.
It aims to provide ‘a safe, healthy, supportive and respectful space to recover and make positive, lasting changes’. Wandoo offers dedicated and intensive trauma-informed treatment within a therapeutic community. Women are supported via multi-disciplinary case management to reduce addiction, improve mental and physical health and reduce the chances of reoffending. Women at Wandoo are also offered transitional and post-release support for their ongoing rehabilitation.
For more information see:
https://cyrenianhouse.com/wandoo-womens-rehabilitation-prison/
PRI and TIJ, Guide to the rehabilitation and social reintegration of women prisoners, 2019, p. 25.
Addressing the diverse needs of women in a dedicated pre-release centre
(Rule 46, Chapter 7)
The Boronia Pre-Release Centre for Women in Western Australia adopts a forward-looking model of imprisonment that recognises the diverse needs of women in prison. This model is based on the principle that, while imprisonment serves as a punishment for crime, it also provides an opportunity to maximise each woman’s potential to positively, confidently and safely reintegrate with their families and communities following release. The women take on more responsibility as they live in a share house, undertake domestic responsibilities, and manage their daily activities much as they would if they were living at home.
For more information see:
Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services, 2018 Inspection of Boronia Pre-release Centre for Women
https://www.correctiveservices.wa.gov.au/_files/prisons/prison-locations/boronia-philosophy.pdf