Education Provided by TAFE NSW Western Institute to the Indigenous Population in the Correctional Centres

• NCJ Number: 194159
• Author(s): Janice Navin; Ian Kennedy
• Date Published: October 2001
• Length: 11 pages
• Corporate Author: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Conference Material
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: This paper was presented at the Best Practice Interventions in Corrections for Indigenous People Conference held in 2001; see NCJ194157-158 and NCJ194160-162 for additional conference papers. Downloaded 02/05/2002

Annotation

This paper reviewed the cooperation between TAFE NSW, Western Institute and the Department of Corrections Services, Education Division, AEVTI to facilitate “Best Practice” to Indigenous students held in correctional centers within the Western Institute boundaries. It presented an overview of TAFE NSW, Western Institute’s involvement in education within the correctional centers.

Abstract

Within the Western Institute of New South Wales, there are eight correctional centers. The TAFE NSW Western Institute is the largest institute in the area of NSW. It was acknowledged in 1999 for its commitment to and excellence in vocational education and training. TAFE NSW has been providing vocational education and training courses in NSW correctional centers for over 20 years. It aids Aboriginal inmates in securing educational skills and tools to lead a productive life. Each TAFE NSW Institute maintains an appointed Institute Correctional Center Liaison Officer (ICCLO) who oversees arrangements for establishing courses in correctional centers. In addition to the ICCLO, an Aboriginal Prisons Programs Officer is part of the TAFE NSW Western Institutes’ Aboriginal Development Unit who liaison to provide courses specific to the needs of the Indigenous inmates. In 1993, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formalized the TAFE NSW and NSW DCS (Department of Correctional Services) commitment to correctional education. Under the MOU specific education principles related to Aboriginal inmates. The TAFE NSW strategic plan provides for Aboriginal inmates and consists of 10 objectives. During 2001, the TAFE NSW Western Institute enrolled approximately 1,600 general inmates across all correctional centers with 50 percent representing Aboriginal inmates. The paper concluded with TAFE NSW funded courses throughout the various correctional centers in the Western Institute, specifically Lithgow Correctional Center, Bathurst Correctional Center, Kirconnell Correctional Center, Broken Hill Correctional Center, Ivanhoe Correctional Center, Yetta Dhinnakkal, and the Oberon/Shooter Hill Correctional Center. TAFE NSW Western Institute’s Strategic Plan for 2000-2003 includes the ability to provide lifelong learning opportunities for individuals, industry, and the community that enhance the skill and productivity of the workforce.