The Development of a Disability Action Plan for
The Development of a Disability Action Plan for a Correctional System – The Challenges and the Lessons Learnt Peter Persson - Corrections Victoria David Arblaster – Diversity Unit, Department of Justice ACSO 3 rd Forensic Disabilities Conference September 2007
Getting There but First … the Final Result Pre 1 January 2007
Outline Ø Context v About Corrections Victoria v Disability Action Plans v Template Ø Lessons learnt v Process v Environmental Analysis v Governance v Development v Implementation
Context About Corrections Victoria Ø Corrections Victoria is part of the Department of Justice, which also includes courts and police ØCorrections Victoria manages: • 53 Community Correctional Services locations • 11 public prisons & oversees the contracts of 2 private prisons • Prison population – 4, 100 • Offenders on Community-Based Orders – 8, 000
Context Disability Action Plans Ø Victorian Government requirement for all government departments to develop DAP’s ØDepartment of Justice Disability Action Plan 2005 -2008 ØFew examples nationally and internationally of DAP’s in a correctional setting
Context Disability Action Plan Template Ø Organisational environment and a favourable climate for implementation (Innes 2006) 1. Senior management commitment 2. Develop a formal Disability policy 3. Promote sense of ownership 4. Allocate Action Plan implementation responsibilities to specific individuals 5. Allocate priorities and ensure careful financial management 6. Don’t over-commit 7. Integrate Disability Action Plans with other plans
Lessons Learnt: Process ØLengthy development and consultation process ØLong term enterprise
Lessons Learnt: ‘Environmental’ Analysis ØTemplate for scan ve. g. Mark Moore’s Strategic Triangle ØSocial Policy hooks ØLow priority in Government agenda
Lessons Learnt: ‘Environmental’ Analysis ØCriminological trends (Garland 2002) ØForensic Disability Specific (Rockowitz 1989) • Definition of the Population • Relationship Issues • System Issues • Offender Issues
Lessons Learnt: Governance ØChallenge in having to access to expertise (Correctional, disability, other) and decision-makers ØPossible solutions - working group (experts) and project board (decisionmakers)
Lessons Learnt: Governance …continued ØIncreased operational involvement ØStructure of the organisation is a factor (centralised easier – decentralised harder? )
Lessons Learnt: Development ØJoin it to a theoretical basis ØNeed a vision Ø 3 levels of the Plan ü What have we got now/quick fixes ü Medium term goals ü Vision – inclusion and equity
Lessons Learnt: Development …continued ØNatural tendency – least resource intensive solution ØInterplay between social policy, human rights and finite resources
Lessons Learnt: Development …continued ØConsider the scope and content of plan – this drives ‘who’ the key players are Ø Risk management – a double edged sword?
Lessons Learnt: Implementation Ø Guard against the relaxation factor ØImportance of quick ‘wins’ ØKey operational champions to advise on roll-out
Lessons Learnt: Implementation…continued Ø Key operational champions to advise on roll-out ØGet the “plan” out of head office ØNeed to ‘test’ and ‘re-test’ assumptions
Conclusion Ø Environmental analysis important Ø Long term proposition (one plan after another) Ø Use templates or previous plans (HREOC) Vision Implementation Test-Retest Governance Development
The Far Side of Forensic Disability
The Development of a Disability Action Plan for a Correctional System – The Challenges and the Lessons Learnt Peter Persson - Corrections Victoria David Arblaster - Diversity Unit, Department of Justice ACSO 3 rd Forensic Disabilities Conference September 2007
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