The Custodial Inspector’s Adult and Youth Health Care Reports were released this month - highlighting the severe lack of mental and physical health supports for all Adults and Youths in our prison and remand settings.

From the last set of Reports, the Custodial Inspector stated only 12 of 46 recommendations made in the five years between inspections have been implemented in the adult settings.

In the youth settings, the level of mental health support services provided to young people were largely unchanged from the previous Report’s recommendations.

Further, the need to improve the relationship between Tasmanian Government Departments was highlighted, with the Tasmanian Prison Service who operate prisons (run by the Department of Justice), and the Correctional Primary Health Service who deliver the health and mental health services in prisons (run by the Department of Health).

The findings in these reports highlight a lack of services and supports for those in custodial settings, a working relationship between government departments that aren’t people/patient focused and it continues to reflect a broader corrections system that is focused on commanding and controlling people rather than rehabilitation and support.

The Tasmanian Government’s ‘A Strategic Plan for Corrections in Tasmania 2023’ issued by the Department of Justice, clearly illustrates a “strong focus toward rehabilitation due to the obvious benefits this provides them (those in custody) and to the community”.

I question, as the Custodial Inspector’s report highlights, how 19 days of lockdowns in a month is rehabilitative.

The Tasmanian Government’s Department of Health Strategic Priorities 2021-2023 (now outdated) does not have a single point relating to Correctional Primary Health and the Rethink 2020 ‘A state plan for mental health in Tasmania’ simply references correctional health services as being part of the Statewide system rather than list any specific focus.

Tasmania’s prisons, in their current state, do not rehabilitate people.

In fact, the prison system leaves Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people worse off than they were before.

People in custody often have a significant history of trauma, and many have underlying mental and physical health concerns.

People in custody must have access to physical and mental health supports, without reasonable delay to not only cope with the prison environment itself but also to be able to address underlying causes of offending, which often is trauma and poor mental health.

If people enter our prison system without the mental or physical health supports that are required to support them, and the expert bodies such as the Custodial Inspector are ignored, how will people in custody return to community - as the Corrections Strategic Plan clearly states - rehabilitated?

Having reasonable access to health care is fundamental. The idea that people in custody are pulling their own teeth out due to not being able to access dental treatment is draconian.

Like non-aboriginal people in custody, Aboriginal people are facing the same lack of mental and physical health supports. Like the minimal culturally considered supports provided to Aboriginal people in custody, these reports highlighted the lack of culturally considered mental and physical health supports for Aboriginal people in these settings.

Our mob are five times more likely to be in the Tasmanian Prison System than a non-Aboriginal Tasmanian.

There is one program based at and operated in the State’s prison system delivered by Aboriginal people working for a Tasmanian Aboriginal organisation, who support all Aboriginal people in custody. That program is the Aboriginal Wellbeing Program that is delivered by the Tasmanian Aboriginal Legal Service.

While this is funded by the Tasmanian Government, there is only so much support our program can deliver within its current scope, and while focused on wellbeing, it doesn’t support the broader mental and physical health needs of our people.

Five years have passed since this report was last published with very little change.

The Tasmanian Government has significant work to do if it genuinely supports closing the gap on the mental and physical health improvements recommended in our custodial settings.

There is also considerable work required to Close the Gap on health and justice-related issues Aboriginal people face each and every day in Tasmania.

Jake Smith, CEO Tasmanian Aboriginal Legal Service

Media contact: A.Mark Thomas, M&M Communications, 0422 006 732