1. Title of Presentation COACH Conference Frankston Presentation by Peter Norden AO Adjunct Professor RMIT University

2. Speaking from my experience…… criminal justice system and prisons mental health and drug and alcohol community development work intergenerational family disadvantage social policy and research (State / Federal) public advocacy and reform What kind of change?What kind of change?

3. What kind of change? Change is inevitable, But …. can Australia still claim to be a land of hope and opportunity and a place which provides “A FAIR GO” for all Australians?

4. CAR Main Points Positive impact of social cohesion Strong correlations between social disadvantage factors Poverty concentrated and entrenched in certain areas Measures disadvantage by postcode area in Vic and New South Wales

5. CAR Map Vic Social Comparison – Vic Unequal in Life Source: Vinson, T., Community, Adversity & Resilience, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne, 2004, [Map 4] Disadvantage Degree of Disadvantage Middle range Degree of Advantage Advantage All others

6. CAR Map Vic Social Comparison – Melb Metro Source: Vinson, T., Community, Adversity & Resilience, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne, 2004, [Map 5] Unequal in Life Disadvantage Degree of Disadvantage Middle range Degree of Advantage Advantage All others

7. Local Disadvantaged Postcodes LOCAL DISADVANTAGED POSTCODES: 3940Rosebud West 3915Hastings 3939Rosebud 3200Frankston North

8. CAR Disadvantage Factors Social Disadvantage Factors Low Birth Weight Disability/Sickness Allowance Low Work Skills Mortality Year 12 Incomplete Imprisonment Early School Leaving Court Convictions Low Family Income Psychiatric Hosp. Admissions Long Term Unemployment Child Neglect Unemployment

9. CAR Spac Comp Vic Spatial Compression of Disadvantage - Vic Source: Vinson, T., Community, Adversity & Resilience, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne, 2004, p. 48 4.5 Percentage of Victorian Postcode areas needed to account for 25% and 50% of instances of each form of disadvantage N = 647 8.32.7Child Neglect 11.13.9Court Convictions 12.44.4Early School Leaving 12.9Low Family Income 7.32.1Imprisonment 11.34.1Unemployment 11.64.2Low Work Skills To Reach 50% To Reach 25%

10. Coach Community Mentoring COACH Community Mentoring: How might this help? How could it be applied? What could be expected outcomes?

11. CAR Social Cohesion Factors Social Cohesion Factors Source: Vinson, T., Community, Adversity & Resilience, Jesuit Social Services, Melbourne, 2004, p. 46 Availability of informal help Volunteering Participation in organised recreation/sports groups

12. CAR Early Sch/Unemp SC comp Across local populations EARLY SCHOOL LEAVING and UNEMPLOYMENT are strongly connected (0.64**) Connection remains strong (0.63) Low social cohesion plus Connection significantly weakens (0.28) plus High social cohesion N = 277 Impact of Community Development Interventions (contd)

13. CAR Low Inc/Imp SC comp Community Development Interventions Drives a Wedge in the Cycle of Disadvantage Across local populations LOW FAMILY INCOME and IMPRISONMENT are strongly connected (0.55**) Connection grows stronger (0.62) Low social cohesion plus Connection significantly weakens (0.18) plus High social cohesion N = 277

14. CAR Unemp/Imp SC comp Across local populations UNEMPLOYMENT and IMPRISONMENT are strongly connected (0.65**) Connection grows stronger (0.75) Low social cohesion plus Connection significantly weakens (0.22) plus High social cohesion N = 277 Impact of Community Development Interventions (contd)

15. CAR Unemp/Child Abuse SC comp Across local populations UNEMPLOYMENT and CHILD NEGLECT are strongly connected (0.68**) Connection remains high (0.56) Low social cohesion plus Connection drops (0.40) plus High social cohesion N = 277 Impact of Community Development Interventions (contd)

16. Criminal Justice/Human Rights Intro Slide Criminal Justice and Human Rights

17. Chart, crime/prison rates Prisoners Australia 1994 - 2004 Crime Rate Australia 1996-2003 per 100,000 population Crime rate down but Prison rate up 3 times the rate of growth of the Australian pop. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2004), Prisoners in Australia, ABS, Cat No 4517.0, Table 16, p. 31. Source: Crime Statistics. Australian Institute of Criminology. Australian crime. Facts and figures 2004

18. Prisons new mental asylums High Rates of Prisoners with Mental Illness 26% of prisoners met criteria for mental illness 20% - Major Depression 8% - Manic Depression (Bipolar) 7% - Schizophrenia 30% prisoners surveyed had attempted suicide Source: Victorian Prisoner Health Studies, DOJ, Feb 2003, p.30 & 36.

19. Prisons and Hep C High Rates of Prisoners with Hepatitis C 58% of prisoners tested positive for Hep C Virus 69% of prisoners admit to injecting drugs with most sharing needles 18.5% increase in prisoners found to be HCV carriers 220,000 plus Australians already infected 16,000 new infections each year Source: Victorian Prisoner Health Studies, DOJ, Feb 2003, p. 90

20. Increased Surveillance Increased Level of Government Intervention Anti-terrorism Bill 2005 Serious Sex Offenders Monitoring Act 2005 Border Protection Immigration Detention Quarantine of welfare payments

21. How to make a difference? HOW TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE? HOW TO HELP OUR FAMILIES AVOID THESE PITFALLS (CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND WELFARE DEPENDENCY)? HOW TO CREATE REAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR A FUTURE GENERATION OF DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN?

22. Community Development Programs (such as COACH Community Mentoring) aim to bring about change…. in individuals, families, and communities to be effective, they must be sustained to have broader social change….. they must also address structures

23. Some Observations or Warnings… Some Observations or Warnings …… How do these programs promote broader change rather than family mobility alone? Where is the role for social policy and advocacy as well as family mentoring?

24. Australia at Crossroads WHAT CAN BE DONE TO SHAPE A MORE COHESIVE AND JUST AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY? Increased Prosperity Growing Social Divide Land of Opportunity for Some Increased Alienation for Others