NCJ Number
63332
Date Published
1977
Length
15 pages
Annotation
FEMALE ABORIGINAL PRISONERS IN AUSTRALIA WERE TESTED FOR URBAN SURVIVAL SKILLS TO EVALUATE THEIR FITNESS FOR EXISTING REHABILITATION PROGRAMS AND TO AID THE PLANNING OF MORE RELEVANT PROJECTS.
Abstract
A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS UED TO TEST FUNCTIONAL LITERACY; FAMILIARITY WITH TIME CONCEPTS; AND THE USE OF ALARM CLOCKS, CALENDARS, VARIOUS DIRECTORIES, AND PUBLIC PHONES AND TRANSPORTATION. A TOTAL OF 23 INMATES, 13 ABORIGINAL AND 10 EUROPEAN, WERE TESTED. THE ABORIGINAL GROUP WAS FOUND DEFICIENT IN THE URBAN SURVIVAL SKILLS WHICH ARE NECESSARY FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE KIND OF WORK AND STUDY PROGRAMS CURRENTLY OPERATED BY THE CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT. NOT ONLY HAVE ABORIGINAL INMATES FAILED TO BENEFIT FROM THESE PROGRAMS, THEY HAVE ALSO SHOWN SCANT INTEREST IN THEM DUE TO THEIR LACK OF RELEVANCE TO THE ABORIGINAL INMATES' SITUATION UPON RELEASE. CRITICISM IS EXPRESSED OF THE GENERAL AUSTRALIAN POLICY OF IMPOSING EUROPEAN STANDARDS AND LIFE-STYLE ON THE ABORIGINAL MINORITY AS A PRICE FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITY. REHABILITATION FOR ABORIGINAL INMATES SHOULD BE CARRIED ON IN A SETTING MORE COMPATIBLE WITH THE CULTURAL VALUES OF THEIR OWN SOCIETY. A COOPERATIVE ENTERPRISE IS RECOMMENDED, WHERE INMATES COULD DEVELOP REHABILITATIVE SKILLS ACCORDING TO ABORIGINAL CONCEPTS OF WORK AND PROPERTY, FREE OF PATERNALISTIC, EUROPEAN ATTITUDES. SUCH REHABILITATION CONDITIONS WOULD MORE CLOSELY PARALLEL THE EVENTUAL RELEASE SITUATION. FURTHER STUDY IS NEEDED TO DETERMINE THE SPECIFIC TYPE OF COOPERATIVE SETTING AND SKILLS THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE INMATES AND BE ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE. THE ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY SHOULD BE APPROACHED TO ASSIST IN SUCH AN UNDERTAKING. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (MRK)