VLAF Prisoners Working Group (PWG)

Minutes

VLAF Prisoners Working Group (PWG)

Meeting number: 2 of 4

1. Welcome and Acknowledgement of Country (CP)

• “Our meeting is being held on the lands of the Wurundjeri people and I wish to acknowledge them as Traditional Owners. I would also like to pay my respects totheir Elders, past and present”

1. Welcome new members and Introductions (CP)

1. Corrections Victoria Attending the Meeting (CP)
2. TS confirmed receipt of an apology from Brendan Money (BM). The apology was noted.
3. MM and GH attended a small meeting with two corrections staff members who were not familiar with the structure or purpose of the meetings with BM.
4. Minutes for this meeting were made available however corrections did not wish to have these minutes posted on the VLAF website.
5. GH noted that the best outcome for these meetings would be to the return to a meeting with BM.
6. CP noted that a discussion should be had with SR to arrange a follow up meeting with corrections.
7. CP and MM noted a preference for having a lower level corrections individual at the PWG general meetings.

1. Minutes of previous meeting held on 19 May 2016 (CP)
2. Minutes accepted and most actions completed.

1. Visa Cancellation PLE opportunity for CLC’s (GH)
2. Request for a show of interest from CLC’s to be trained to provide PLE on visa cancelations to prisoners.
3. VLA has found the program to be highly resource intensive and would like to be able to build the sectors capacity to undertake this work.
4. DN PLEA have picked up this topic and developed it into their program. PLEA has been going into detention centres to undertake the sessions on this topic. Believe that the issue is mainly a paperwork coordination matter and that legal assistance is not a requirement. Issues around youth not being able to complete the forms necessary to undertake this paperwork.
5. JC did undertake some of the sessions
6. SS expressed concern that no one in the sector was currently completing this work to increase the training.
7. DN may be that VLA develop an education presentation regarding dates and procedure on the matters. WA currently have a kit and may be able to use their capacity building toolkits as it is a federal matter.
8. GH would advise VLA of this feedback.

1. Prisoner Telephone Line (GH)
2. CP noted that the update had been circulatedprior to the meeting.
3. GH proposal included a number of details including a focus on new client maters and not individuals who already havelegal representation.
4. GH noted that NSW prisoners hotline don’t provide advice only information. Accordingly they do not have concerns with drop off rates. GH noted that if further assistance was need the Prisoners legal service within NSW legal aid would book a longer phone call
5. GH is attended NSW Legal Aid and the Prisoners Legal service in a few weeks. And will report back on his observations.
6. GH noted that VLA had green lighted a design thinking approach to the telephone service. Wanted the service to be based on a client focused model. Develop the sectors capacity to define the problem.
7. BL noted his conference talk on design thinking from fast track last year and expressed that GH may be interested in the material.
8. GH expressed a desire to develop a specialisation within CLC’s for prison work so that the telephone service would be able to refer on. Expressed that there is the opportunity for CLC’s with an interest in this workto take it.
9. CP optimistic that the service pilot would be running out of three prisons by the end of the year. GH noted that there may be a short delay with the implementation of a design thinking approach.
10. GH noted that there would be workshops for CLC’s to be able to feed in experiences with the clients.

1. Members will bring up to three major issues each that their organisations have identified since the last working group meeting in the areas of: legal needs, identified gaps in services, emerging issues and projects. (ALL)
2. Justice Connect (SS)
3. 2 yr program at port Philip has finished and has left a large gap. Tenancy work is high impact and the debt matters are a huge issue. Expressed a need for further FC’s or an explained Clean Slate model.
4. Large focus on tenancy matters. Particularly prevention of eviction for temporary absences reflecting short prison terms.
5. Issues with the Office of housing and finding a large degree of variation between offices.
6. Issue with still being dependant on prisoners reaching out to Justice connect.
7. Happy for the telephone service to refer public housing or tenancy issues onto Justice Connect.
8. Diversitat (KN)
9. Demand huge for financial counsellor within the prisons. Working within Barwon once a month. Expressed a large number of clients seeking assistance on a regular basis.
10. Expressed that Face to face contact is necessary for the work they undertake.
11. Noted recent issues with the Child support hotline.
12. Noted issues with Superannuation. Prisons are restricted by legislation from accessing their super to provide for family members whilst in prison.
13. Noted that the Register of Financial counsellors with the Dept of justice is not accurate.
14. WLSV
15. Undertaking skype advice services.
16. Noted that DPFC saturation of services at this prison.
17. Expressed an interest in assisting prisoners after they have contacted VLA.
18. MVLS
19. Noted that the Calling in provisions factsheet had been distributed to the PWG.
20. Chelsea Candy, MM and BL approached the CIJ for a literature review. CIJ are interested and currently looking into it. Depending on timeframes they are looking to put together a program for first semester 2017. This is to develop a better basis for supporting justice reinvestment within Victoria.
21. PLEA
22. Large growth and develop of the program. Currently looking to have services in the Geelong prisons and Bendigo prison by March next year.
23. Currently have 12 programs lined up to take out to the community.
24. Zero funding means they are facing less funding issues.
25. Currently in the final stages of incorporating.
26. Expressed a desire to evaluate their work. Wanting to measure the impact of CLE and use this to further the study and program.
27. FCLC
28. Smart justice symposium has had a change on venues and the attendees have been notified of this. The symposium is currently at capacity. Expert panel session and afternoon workshop will be included in the program.
29. Noted a clear focus on three issues:
30. Post release housing
31. Data collection issues.
32. Justice reinvestment
33. Expressed a wish to develop a publication for afterwards. Trying to be an ongoing issue. A lot more work to be completed.
34. Noted a continuing struggle to obtain information.
35. BMCLC (LM)
36. Clean slate ongoing. Funding has been obtained to look to scale up the program into the future.

1. Report from quarterly Corrections Meeting (GH)

• Minutes from this meeting will be circulated by TS.
• Need to flag something as a systemic issue and not just individual issues.
• DN would like to go to the meeting. Unsure on what the purpose was.
• MM is happy to take questions to the corrections meeting.
• CP noted there may need a better process to raise the issues.
• GH noted that the Chair, FCLC and VLA attend the meetings.
• DNwants PLEA to gather traction with corrections and wanted to have their programs heard with corrections staff.
• CP noted that the PWG should be a advocate for PLEA and performance this task better.

1. Revised terms of reference

• ”Mapping legal assistance sector activities including referral pathways, prison visits, and other entry points
• Considering and developing joint plans for legal education and information for people in prison.
• Developing joint plans to address civil and family law needs of people in prison.
• Identifying and responding to emerging issues – for example violence and deaths in custody, the impact of the changes to parole, overcrowding, conditions of people in prison who may interact with Government inquiries.
• Acting as a consultative group on any proposed new services or service changes by organisations in the legal assistance sector.
• Advocating for the legal needs of people in prison as appropriate.”
• DN noted that the participating organisations needed to be changed on the list of services
• CP noted that the current draft was limited to civil and family law needs. GH and CP expressed a change to ‘legal’ needs.
• Changes to terms of reference approved.
  

1. Follow up on tasks list (see Agenda 19 May 2016)

• NA

1. Other business:

• Meeting ended at 3:15 pm

1. Additional information