Access to higher education denied
Studies reveal the wide-ranging benefits for community when prisoners undertake university and other higher level study in prison. However, access to higher education in SA prisons is denied. The Department for Correctional Services in South Australia (DCS) maintain an outdated narrative suggesting the greatest benefit is seen by teaching basic numeracy and literacy to prisoners. This narrative is based on faulty data and a narrow and pessimistic view of the true capabilities of many prisoners.
Why no university courses in SA Prisons?
Many believe the true reason for DCS’s reluctance to provide access to University courses is due to resentment of the idea that prisoners may be higher achievers than many staff who work in the prisons. Or that there might be an increase in identification of staff incompetence by educated prisoners. While this belief would be difficult to prove, it is reported from prisoners that there is a significant cohort of middle management staff who despise prisoners that seek to access higher education.
DCS have shown to have a narrow view of higher education, telling prisoners that there is no point in studying law or social-worker degrees as the usual avenues for employment in this area are not open to people with criminal convictions. One particular senior manager at Mobilong Prison was regularly overheard saying ‘we don’t teach anything but basic numeracy and literacy because we don’t want smarter criminals’.
Check out this video – it is made in America but it’s principles apply to some extent in South Australia.
What is currently on offer?
The Good
DCS currently runs a program called Work Ready Release Ready. This has proven to be helpful to people being released from prison. DCS also offer lower-level certificate II courses, also benefiting the minority who are lucky enough to get a position on them.
The Bad
But these programs does not go far enough to deal with the extreme boredom and lack of meaningful activities for long -term prisoners.They also restrict rehabilitation to a narrow avenue that is far from being suitable for many. DCS understands the importance that finding meaningful activities has to avoid risk of mental health and drug abuse – they teach this in their rehabilitation programs. Contradicting this teaching, they continue to severely limit opportunities for people in prison to access meaningful activities.
Instead, DCS have been seen to prioritise mind-numbing factory work rather than education. Corporate deals for cheap labour by prisoners is taken advantage of by companies including Hegs Pegs. The bargain labour costs sees prisoners paid around $2 per day. This factory-type work makes up the bulk of employment positions at prisons such as Mobilong Prison. It is facilitated under a misleading premise that prisoners are being provided ‘skills’ necessary for finding employment in the community.
The Ugly
For example, many prisoners are forced to work in a role that requires them to sit in a seat for many hours straight and place clips in pegs. One at a time. Or, another job requires unpacking and re-packing products. These are not tasks that require training or build skills necessary for employment. There is no learning or skill development in these roles.
The mind-numbing boredom is so demoralising that one prisoner poured boiling hot water over his hands deliberately so that he did not have to work in such boring roles. In another incident, a prisoner experiencing mental health issues shot himself in the head with a nail gun and had to be rushed to hospital. Community safety through effective rehabilitation appears to be second priority to profit.
What about computer access?
Computer access in SA Prisons is poor. The claim by DCS that prisoners have adequate access to computers is false. Computer access is denied or extremely limited in most prison units. In units where there is access to computers, such access is reserved for prisoners who are enrolled in basic numeracy and literacy programs.
The problem with this is two fold: The first is that a significant portion of these programs do not require computer use. The second is that many of the computers are located in the classrooms reserved for these basic numeracy and literacy programs. This means these computers often sit unused and unable to be used by other prisoners seeking to access.
Furthermore, it is almost impossible for prisoners to gain adequate access to a computer to prepare for legal matters. Take Mobilong Prison as an example. It houses almost 500 prisoners but, under orders of the General Manager, limits computer access for personal and legal matters to approximately just 6 computers for 2-hours per week, and only on Friday afternoons.
Most prisoners have low to average computer skills, meaning 2-hours is not enough time for them to type up a basic letter, let alone prepare legal documents. This time restriction makes attempts at using computers for typing up documents or self-directed learning futile.
What’s happening in other States and Territories
Prison authorities in other states and territories around Australia have accepted the benefits of offering higher education. Most provide better access to computers and other devices to assist in effective rehabilitation and reintegration. For example, during 2020, NSW Prisons introduced tablets for all prisoners to access in cells.
NSW have also installed computers with internet access in the pre-release prison, which prisoners can access for university courses. Victoria offer prisoners access to in-cell computers to prepare for legal matters. ACT provide prisoners access to in-cell computers for education programs. It has been proven that higher education significantly decreases the likelihood of re-offending. For further info, read Professor Jim Nyland’s article here (University of Southern Qld).
South Australia should get with the program! Help make our community safer by supporting higher education in SA prisons. Share your support by emailing the Minister of Correctional Services at MinisterSzakacs@sa.gov.au or Chief Executive of the DCS at DCS@sa.gov.au.
Contact us for further info…
Crim Nation, South Australia – Prison Reform Advocate