How We Work

The ACT Women And Prisons (WAP) Group is distinguished from other organisations and services within the ACT criminal justice system by our women directed approach. We value the contribution that women with lived experience bring and ensure that they have meaningful input into the direction of the Group.

Women with lived experience of the criminal justice system are better placed than any other organisation or service provider to establish relationships of trust with the women incarcerated in or involved in the ACT criminal justice system; to offer them emotional support and friendship; to understand their unique needs and experiences; and to advocate to ensure that their human rights are upheld and that they are treated with dignity, decency and respect.

WAP uses peer support as a vehicle to build relationships and trust with women so that we can better provide personal and emotional support, hear their views and stories and use these to advocate for them. We are guided by these women in identifying service gaps within the system and possible options to address these, and use this to inform our advocacy.

We provide opportunities and support for women with lived experience to actively contribute to WAP’s work. Our advocacy role is focussed on educating stakeholders about the needs of women with lived experience of the criminal justice system. WAP sees the criminal justice system as not just about Justice or Corrections, but as requiring a whole of Government approach.

WAP is not a service provider. We work in partnerships with the formal providers, and build and maintain strong relationships with a wide range of stakeholders because we understand that no one service can provide the diversity of practice that is required to meet the needs of all women.

Meeting the needs of female prisoners

Female prisoners are different to male prisoners because of biological and life circumstances. There are a number of important characteristics of women prisoners and their offending behaviour that need to be considered in the development of prison policies and practices.

• Women commit fewer and less serious crimes than men and are therefore less of a threat to others (Women's Health Victoria, 2008)
• It is well documented that women prisoners are much more likely to be solely responsible for the care of children and the maintenance of a home than male prisoners, which means that when a woman is imprisoned children suffer and the home is lost (Ibid)
• Women prisoners are highly likely to have experience sexual abuse. Some research has shown that as many as 89 percent of women in prison have experienced sexual abuse at some point in their lifetime (Sister's Inside Inc, 2005)
• Women prisoners are more likely to self-harm (AIHW, 2009)
• Women experience a higher level of psychological distress in prison than men (Ibid)
• Aboriginal women are hugely overrepresented in prison (Australian Institute of Criminology, 2010)

Because of their gender, women have different needs. They require care that addresses their reproductive health, histories of abuse and status as primary providers and carers of children. As women only make up a small proportion of the total prison population, prisons are often designed to contain male prisoners and the gender-specific needs of women are overlooked. WAP plays an essential role in highlighting health inequalities for women prisoners as a minority within the criminal justice system.