Response on Behalf of Defence for Children International, Australia:
Friends World Committee for Consultation (Quakers)
Mothers in Prison and their Children
Recent research has estimated that there are 38,500 children in Australia who experience the incarceration of a parent per year. Of greater
significance, it is estimated that 145,000 children currently under the age of 16 have lived through such an event, of whom approximately 24,000 have experienced maternal incarceration.1 This represents just under 5% of all children living in Australia. More detailed research examining the number of children experiencing parental incarceration in New South Wales estimated that in 2001, 14,500 children in the state experienced parental incarceration at least once (12,200 experienced paternal and 1,300 maternal incarceration).2 This represents approximately 1% of all children living in the state.
The number of people in Australia affected by the incarceration of a relative is increasing; a consequence of the dramatic increase in the
prison population over the past two decades, which has seen the number of prisoners in the country more than double.2 Although there has been Government recognition of this problem3, there remains a very significant lack of State or Federal Government action of any kind to provide assistance to the children and families of prisoners.
Recent Australian research indicates that the health of women in prison, and in particular, mothers, is much worse than community standards.1 The health problems that are most pronounced are those associated with drug and alcohol-related health issues, with the notable exception of HIV which has not become a significant problem within the injecting drug user population, and thus the prisoner population, in Australia. The patterns of these problems vary from state-to-state, and this variance is strongly related to the proportion of indigenous people in custody; a reflection of the greater burden of health problems facing indigenous Australians as a whole.
In New South Wales recent research examining the health of prisoners has shed light on the health of incarcerated parents.4 The main health problems facing incarcerated mothers are Hepatitis C, of which 68% of all mothers in prison are infected, and ICD-10 defined mental illness (81% of mothers) including drug and alcohol use disorders (62% of mothers). 1 On top of this, 29% of mothers reported having previously attempted suicide and 19% reported having ever self-harmed. Mothers of children under 16 years in NSW prisons also face great social adversities such as poor education (less than 50% have completed minimum requirements for high-school certificate), high rates of unemployment, and a significant proportion (22%) having been born overseas. There are similarly high burdens of these illnesses and social adversities for male offenders, and in particular, fathers in prison (42% are Hepatitis C positive, 60% screened positive for any mental illness, and 23% have in the past attempted suicide).1
Of particular note in the Australian setting is the highly disproportionate number of indigenous Australians affected by incarceration.5 Aboriginal Australians are ten times over-represented in prison, making just over 2% of all Australians but 20% of the prisoner population. 2 This is particularly the case for indigenous women, who proportionally represent the single biggest increase in incarceration rates over the past ten years.6 It is estimated that 20% of all indigenous children currently under the age of 16 have experienced parental incarceration at some point in their lives.2 This is a particular problem in states such as the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia that have larger indigenous populations that are dispersed in rural and remote communities. The problems facing the families and children of indigenous prisoners are compounded by cultural issues of punitive justice, isolation caused by great distances between home and prison, and institutional racism both within the penal system and ingrained in the greater Australian society.7
The efforts being made by QUNO to highlight issues surrounding maternal incarceration, both for the mother and her children, are strongly
supported by DCI.
However, it is emphasised that the needs of children of incarcerated fathers and their children is a similarly neglected issue.
This is a problem facing a much greater number of children in Australia and globally. The children of incarcerated fathers experience very similar issues to those of incarcerated mothers - often
witnessing their parent's crime and arrest, loss of a parent, disrupted family environment, the difficulties associated with visiting their parent within the prison system. And similarly, the
partners - the mothers of these children - left behind when a father is incarcerated, are left with very little support to tackle the numerous social, financial and demographic adversities
associated with such situations. Due to the similarities between the broad biopsychosocial issues around mothers in prison and fathers in prison, we suggest that any report specifically
examining mothers in prison should strongly emphasise the issues of fathers in prison and their families.
Footnotes
1 Quilty S; Thesis (Masters in Philosophy Public Health); The health of the Children and Families of Prisoners; Sydney University, Faculty of
Medicine, School of Public Health; 2003.
2 Quilty S, Levy M, Howard K, Barratt A, Butler T; Children of prisoners: a growing public health problem; Aust. NZ J Pub. Health; 28:339-343;
2004.
3 NSW State Parliament Standing Committee on Social Issues; A report into Children of Imprisoned Parents; Parliament of NSW Legislative
Council; report number 12, July 1997
4 NSW Corrections Health Service; Inmate Health Survey Report; 2003
5 Australian Bureau of Statistics; Prisoners in Australia; Australian Bureau of Statistics; 30 June 2001; 4517.0 (available on-line)
6 Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Social Justice Commissioner; Social Justice Report 2002, Chapter 5;
www.hreoc.gov.au/social_justice/sjreport_02/chapter5.html
7 Henry B, Houston S, Mooney G; Institutional racism in Australian Healthcare: a plea for decency; Med. J Aust; 180:517-520; 2004
