Agenda Item Three
Community Involvement in Corrections

Introduction

Community involvement in corrections has been discussed at a number of previous conferences. There is now a wide recognition of the importance of community involvement, education and participation. As the Malaysian delegation pointed out, prisons are by definition a closed environment but "community involvement has a legitimate place in our penal system." The feeling of the conference was well-expressed by Vietnam, who commented that the prison system should involve "separation not isolation."

The following nations formally addressed the issue of community involvement: Australia, Macau (China), Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Their papers prompted an interesting and wide ranging discussion amongst delegates.

Why Does Community Involvement Matter?

There are some obvious difficulties in furthering community involvement. Kiribati noted that members of the community tend to regard prisoners as "bad people" and that prisoners themselves may feel ashamed to be involved with the community while they are serving their sentences. However, the papers revealed three broad reasons for improving community involvement. First, offenders must be released into the community when their prison sentence has expired and community input is vital to improving the chances of their integration into society. As New Zealand pointed out, this is of particular significance in the case of socially disadvantaged groups such as Maori and Pacific Islanders. Secondly, an open relationship between the community and corrections is critical to increasing public awareness and understanding of the role of correctional services. This, in turn promotes greater accountability. Thirdly, volunteers and non-government organisations can be involved in the provision of valuable services to prisoners and ex-prisoners.

All participants at the conference recognised the importance of developing long-term strategies for engagement with the community. As Thailand pointed out, there is a danger that correctional services will otherwise be forced to respond to problems - some of which may have an international dimension - without adequate preparation or public understanding. In developing their long-term strategies, some nations build upon existing structures and philosophies. For example, China's Prison Laws require the mobilization of social forces to educate and reform criminals, and a wide range of state organisations are involved in this process. In Vietnam, all "Government authorities, the socio-economic organisations, armed forces units, offenders' relatives and other citizens have responsibilities to co-ordinate with the authorities of prison sentence enforcement." In Singapore, the notions of "active citizenship" and "every citizen matters" are promoted as part of the basic philosophy of society. This has benefits in terms of cultivating a longer term interest in the welfare of prisoners.

The conference speakers and papers identified the following specific strategies to achieve these general goals.

Independent Inspections

There was general acceptance that the accountability and transparency of prison systems can be enhanced by a process of independent review/inspection. In Vietnam, this role is taken on by the prosecution authorities, who "have responsibilities to ... ensure strict compliance with law and policies in prisons". In 1997, Thailand's National Assembly appointed a "Sub-Commission on the Study of Prison Conditions" which has recommended a number of important changes. Thailand also encourages Ministers, politicians, public servants, judges and others to visit correctional institutions.

A number of jurisdictions have a system Visiting Justices who have some degree of responsibility for inspecting prisons and listening to complaints by prisoners. This system operates, for example, in Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Hong Kong (China) and Malaysia. An important development in Western Australia has been the appointment of an Inspector of Custodial Services, (who attended the conference as an observer), this appointment is independent of correctional services and reports directly to Parliament. Similarly New South Wales has an Inspector General who is also independent of correctional services and reports directly to Parliament.

Public Participation through Committees and Boards

There are a number of avenues for public participation either in decision-making or in a consultative capacity. Parole systems exist in a number of jurisdictions and are being considered in a number of others (including China and Malaysia). Parole Boards can involve significant community participation through their independent membership. Community participation in parole decision-making can also add credibility to the process.

A number of jurisdictions have introduced advisory and consultative committees of various forms. In New South Wales (Australia), a Community Consultative Committee has been established at each prison. These committees aim to develop and foster links with the local community on a range of matters including the use of volunteers and prisoner participation in community-based programs. In the mid-1990's Canada established Citizen's Advisory Committees to build community links and to address public concerns with respect to prison security and prison management. These committees have proved so successful that they have received major national and international awards.

New Zealand has continued to work very hard to develop strategies to recognise the special relationship between indigenous peoples and land - especially when new prisons are to be constructed. Both government and private contractors must liaise closely with Maori groups in relation to the design and management of prisons and the delivery of programs.

Volunteers and Non-Government Organisations

All nations recognise that volunteers and non-Government organisations have an important role to play in the provision of prison-based programs and in assisting the prisoner's integration into society. Indeed, volunteers to have a pivotal role in service provision in many parts of the region. In Korea, around 4,000 volunteers are involved in an educational or religious capacity. In Japan, almost 2,000 people are specifically designated as "volunteer prison visitors" and many others are involved in a less formal way. In Thailand, "the use of volunteers is massive." Cambodia is seeking to expand the use of non-government organisations. In Tonga, religious organisations play a central role in counselling and assisting prisoners.

The reports reveal a wide range of activities undertaken by volunteers and voluntary organisations. These include education, counselling, work skills and religious support in prison; and advice and support upon release. All nations are seeking to expand the scope of such practices and to improve their effectiveness. They will remain a crucial addition to services provided by the state. However, as the New Zealand delegation pointed out, it is important to ensure that all external service providers meet appropriate standards and criteria for service delivery; in other words, there is a need for "quality control." Macau (China) has also identified potential ethical and quality control issues in the provision of services by volunteers. It therefore insists on a degree of staff involvement or supervision and an evaluation system has been established.

There are further constraints on the use of volunteers in prisons. First, their personal safety and security must be maintained. Secondly, prison authorities must ensure that the volunteers do not pose a risk to the security of the institution.

The Singapore delegation raised a particularly interesting point with respect to volunteers; namely, that prison staff should themselves have a volunteer spirit. Even though staff are involved in the day to day management of prisoners, they can also engage in voluntary activities either in prisons or in the wider community.

Media and Public Relations Strategies

All of the delegates recognised the crucial importance of the media in promoting public knowledge and understanding. Indonesia expressed this by reference to a proverb : "If you don't know, you will never love." It was clear from the quality of the reports presented at the conference, and from the other publications which are now produced in most countries, that corrections departments are far more attuned to the need for effective public relations than in the past. In Japan, the Corrections Bureau now publishes "Public Relations Bulletins" for widespread distribution. Many of these are translated into English for the benefit of foreign visitors and observers. Thailand, like many other countries, has developed a "proactive policy" on public relations.

One of the difficulties in terms of public relations is that correctional issues are usually addressed by the media for negative reasons; for example, if there is an escape or a riot or if an ex-prisoner commits a serious offence. This tends to mean that correctional administrators are "on the back foot" in terms of media coverage. Singapore has therefore sought to foster a close relationship with the media. This has included offering "good stories" (such as reporters staying overnight in a prison) provided that the Department's objectives are also met. China has also invited media agencies into prisons in order to improve understanding and to reduce the discrimination suffered by ex-prisoners.

Technological innovations are increasingly important in many parts of the region, and there is an ever-expanding range of internet websites on correctional systems. Hong Kong (China) demonstrated the potential value of multi-media presentations at the conference. Several of the country papers contained reference to website addresses and it is anticipated that a future issue of the APCCA newsletter will collate these details. However, it is also clear that in many parts of the region, internet technology will not be a high priority until more basic prison management issues have been resolved, including the provision of hygienic modern facilities and health and welfare services.

Conferences and Public Debates

It is probably fair to say that in previous times, correctional administrators would tend to avoid public appearances. This has changed and across the region it is now accepted that prison administrators have an important role to play in terms of "public education." In Brunei Darussalam and Macau (China), for example, Prison Departments have organised talks to the local community and lectures to University students. Overall, the pattern across the region is one of greater engagement in public debate and discussion. This has proved beneficial in improving public understanding of the complex task of prison management and in promoting greater transparency and accountability.

Family Involvement in Prison Activities and Programs

By its very nature, imprisonment means that inmates are segregated from their families. However, as discussed at the Shanghai Conference in 1999, links must be maintained between prisoners and their families. If these links are not maintained, the prospects for integration into the community are limited. Traditionally, prisoners have remained in contact through visits, letters and telephone calls. A number of jurisdictions identified some more innovative approaches. For example, in Korea, family members are invited to correctional institutions to participate, along with inmates, in sports games, religious activities and art exhibitions. In Tuvalu, a range of people participate in sporting games.

Although families will generally provide primary support for prisoners upon their release, there can often be underlying family problems. This is perhaps most obvious in cases where the prisoner was convicted of offence of violence to one of his or her own family members. A number of country papers recognised that these issues will need to be addressed by all family members prior to the person's release. New Zealand places special emphasis on the need for Maori people to be involved in the provision of culturally appropriate programs and support - and for the needs of the whole family to be addressed. Similar policies are well established in Canada and are starting to be developed in Australia.

Community Work by Offenders

The papers and conference discussion revealed that offenders are increasingly involved in work in the community. Community work can sometimes be a condition of a non-custodial sentence. It can also be undertaken in the course of a sentence of imprisonment. There are numerous examples of this. In Macau (China), juvenile detainees now undertake a large amount of community work. A number of Australian states have introduced work camps where prisoners stay and take part in activities such as tree planting and landscaping. Sri Lanka also has work camps. Fiji is intending to expand its programs for the early release of prisoners on condition that they undertake community work. In Japan and Korea, prisoners regularly undertake community work.

Conclusion

We have moved a long way from the perception that a prison should be an entirely closed environment. Instead, there is a clear acknowledgement that a greater degree of openness will contribute to effective and accountable prison management. Further, all nations are moving away from the notion that prisoners should simply be "isolated" and towards the policy of social integration/reintegration. In order to achieve these goals, a number of valuable strategies have already been adopted. In the years ahead, the challenge will be to enhance these strategies and to develop innovative new approaches. The internet will play a significant role but the involvement of people will remain the most important consideration.