Post-release experience of prisoners in Queensland: implications for community and policy

Released prisoners are characterised by chronic social disadvantage, poor\ud physical and mental health, and high rates of substance misuse – a\ud continuation of problems experienced prior to imprisonment. High rates of\ud recidivism, suicide and fatal drug overdose in the months after release from\ud custody indicate that not all prisoners are successfully integrated into the\ud community after release. A disproportionate number of prisoners and exprisoners\ud identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, and there is\ud evidence of even higher mortality rates among Indigenous ex-prisoners.\ud Movement of individuals between prison and the community is considerable,\ud and has diverse and significant implications for individuals, communities and\ud public health.\ud Despite this, remarkably little is known about the experiences of recently\ud released prisoners in Australia or elsewhere. It is thus difficult to formulate\ud evidence-based policies for this group, and equally difficult to gauge the\ud effectiveness of existing policies and programs. The stated policy of most\ud correctional services in Australia is one of ‘throughcare’, which implies\ud continuity of needs- and evidence-based service provision from the moment of\ud reception, through to return to the community. At present, however, there is a\ud dearth of evidence-based services and support for the criminogenic, healthrelated\ud or psychosocial needs of prisoners, and even less support for these\ud needs post-release. Throughout Australia, there is considerable scope for\ud enhancing the application of throughcare principles to policy and practice