Prisoners creating peer support through Sisters for Change

Prisoners trained in first aid and mental health are working alongside Correctional Officers at Townsville Women’s Correctional Centre to help guide women through the challenges of incarceration and lessen the demand for health services.

Ten women graduating from the Red Cross Sisters for Change program will join 12 other program alumni as volunteers within the centre, educating and supporting their fellow prisoners across a range of health issues.

The community-based program, first run at Townsville Women’s Correctional Centre in 2019 and including a cultural competency in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, sees women prisoners undertake a range of projects across the program duration.

One project has seen prisoners take part in traumatic brain injury research for Western Sydney University, raising awareness for women with traumatic brain injuries resulting from violence, to provide training material to correctional officers so they can identify signs and symptoms.

The 22 volunteer prisoners will now build a package around healthy and respectful relationships to educate other women entering the centre while also developing a piece to support mothers and babies in custody and the delivery of first aid for children.

Deputy General Manager Superintendent Silvi Baretta said the program creates a desire within the women to turn their life around and make change in their community.

“When it comes to rehabilitation of women, empowerment is quite a significant value and the feedback we get from the women who’ve gone through the Sisters for Change program is it increases self-worth, confidence and empowers them to go on and do better things,” she said.

“Peer support is such a strong factor in our correctional centre, and the peer support through Sisters for Change has so many benefits including reduction of demand on health services.

“The women feel like they can go to their Red Cross peer supports for basic advice or education on general health issues instead of having to see nurses and take up valuable time that can be focused on more serious matters.

“The graduation of these 10 women is such a success for them to actually achieve qualifications through the program because a lot of women haven’t received that before.”

During the program, prisoners worked with Red Cross staff as well as Correctional Officers involved as champions of the program.

The Elders for Change component of the program provides cultural support to the women involved.

Superintendent Baretta said the graduation of 10 more women from the program highlights the strength of correctional officers and community organisations sharing and achieving common goals through partnership and collaboration.

“The graduation today highlights that we come together and partner with so many organisations, not just the Red Cross, and it’s important for the women to see the support they have from all our organisations,” she said.

“I’m so proud of the staff involvement not only in this program but all programs within Townsville Women’s Correctional Centre.

“It really is nothing without the staff encouragement and involvement through empowering the women to attend, empowering them to keep coming back to those programs and achieving the outcomes that we achieve.”