Making Dollars & Cents of Financial Literacy 1

Prisone r with debts SoroptimistsCEAQCS Break the poverty cycle 2

Profile Con’t Seven percent of Queensland Prisoners are female One quarter (1/4) of all women prisoners identify as Indigenous. Aboriginal women the majority (21% of women in custody) PROFILE

Profile Con’t 70 % are between 20 years and 38 years 2/3rds sexually, physically or emotionally abused prior to imprisonment – contributes to women’s criminality and shapes patterns of offending PROFILE Con’t

Profile Con’t 51% of women prisoners have a mental health diagnosis Two thirds – regular illicit substance users –39% identifying as polysubstance users PROFILE Con’t

Profile Con’t Primary carers of dependant children Limited experience in labour market (compared to female counterparts in community and compared to male prisoners) Low educational attainment (compared to female counterparts in community) PROFILE Con’t

Profile Con’t Offence Types? PROFILE Con’t

Why?. High Levels of Debt – increases with incarceration. Low Levels of Literacy, Education and Employment. Poverty Substance Abuse Problems Mental Health Issues Domestic Violence Unstable Living Environments 8 WHY

The Course BudgetingForms of credit Managing Debt Financial Goal Setting 9

Completion Rate 100% completion and success rate at Helana Jones CC 55% completion and success rate at Brisbane Women CC 10

Recommendations All offenders undertake course within 6 months prior to release Funding sought for ongoing course delivery & development of workbooks Course implemented with funding in other CCs More on fast money loans in future courses 11

Program Future Prisoner with debts SoroptimistsCEAQCS Benefits for all 12 Funding or Sponsorships

Any Questions? Money growing 13