CRC’s reflections and call to action following the release of the NSW Drug Summit Reports
– Prepared by Rory Gillard, Angus Mason and Alison Churchill
In April 2025, NSW Health published an awaited Report on the NSW Drug Summit, which was held in late 2024. In the attached document, CRC shares its reflections and call to action.
Download and read the paper here.
Submission to the NSW Sentencing Council on Good Character in Sentencing
– Prepared by CRC’s Advocacy, Policy and Research Unit (ARPU), with contributions from Alison Churchill, Rory Gillard, Damien Linnane, Reylene Galloway, and Alex Faraguna
Community Restorative Centre contributed a submission to the NSW Sentencing Council’s consultation on whether it should keep, eliminate or otherwise alter reference to people’s ‘good character’ in sentencing considerations, including for child sex offences, under statute and common law. Community Restorative Centre argued, similarly to the NSW Council for Civil Liberties and the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT), among others, that the current legal ability to consider people’s ‘good character’ in specific instances in sentencing was appropriate. Our position is rooted in our commitment to decarceration, addressing the systemic factors that contribute to offending, and advocating for policies that prioritise harm reduction, accountability, and rehabilitation over punitive approaches. CRC also recommended changing the language of ‘good character’ to ‘prior character’ (or similar), recognising that, as mentioned by the Law Society of NSW Young Lawyers in 2024, that the use of the word ‘good’ may be invalidating and harmful for people who have experienced child sexual offences. We additionally recommended that trauma-informed practice in courts be enhanced.
Please note, pseudonyms were used in case studies featured in this submission.
Download and read the paper here.
Select Committee on Measuring Outcomes for First Nations Communities
– Prepared by Prepared by Angus Mason, Dr. Rory Gillard and Dwayne Antojado
We are responding to the current regression of the Closing the Gap targets, with a particular focus on the number of children in out-of-home care and adult incarceration. While The Closing the Gap Agreement states the aim of lowering the representation of First Nations people in prison, if governmental and political approaches are not in alignment- and perpetuate tough-on-crime and pro-carceral approaches- they will continue to thwart Australia’s ability to meet Target 10 of The Agreement.
Download and read the paper here.
CRC reflections and call to action following the NSW Drug Summit
– Prepared by Alison Churchill, Angus Mason and Rory Gillard
As a lead NGO supporting people exiting prison in NSW, we were privileged to attend the NSW Drug Summit in late 2024 and advocate for the unique alcohol and other drugs (AOD) related health issues experienced by people who’ve been incarcerated. Despite the Summit bringing together experts and passionate advocates, CRC notes gaps in the consultation process for minoritised communities. We also note how little has changed since the 1999 NSW Drug Summit. Post-summit, we urge government to take several key actions to reduce AOD-related harms in NSW.
Download and read the paper here.
NSW Drug Summit Position Paper
– Prepared by Vendula Belackova, Lucy Phelan, David Chivers, William Frazer, Tim Blunt, Alison Churchill, and Rory Gillard
In the lead-up to CRC’s attendance at the NSW Drug Summit, we outline our policy positions on how the health of people who’ve been incarcerated, and who use, or have used, alcohol and other drugs, can be better supported in NSW. Some recommendations we make include ensuring access to AOD supports are the same in prison as they are in the community, the de jure decriminalisation of personal drug use, and ensuring health services do not discriminate against people with criminal records.
Download and read the paper here.
CRC Submission to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee for the Inquiry into Australia’s Youth Justice and Incarceration System
– Prepared Dr Rory Hannah Gillard (CRC’s Advocacy, Policy and Research Unit) in consultation with CRC’s Pathways Home Program staff and Alison Churchill, CEO
In this submission, CRC outlines the harms caused by locking young people up, including for specific cohorts of young people like First Nations young people, people with cognitive disabilities, and trans and gender diverse young people. CRC advocates for the decarceration of young people and improving access to appropriate community supports. Recommendations include increasing the age of criminal responsibility to 14 across Australia, the legal prohibition of strip searches, governments supporting and funding First Nations-led efforts to keep children out of child protection systems, and installing a National Minister for Children.
Download and read the submission here.
CRC submission to the House Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport for the Inquiry into the Health Impact of Alcohol and Other Drugs in Australia
– Prepared Dr Rory Hannah Gillard (CRC’s Advocacy, Policy and Research Unit) in consultation with Alison Churchill. Content was informed by CRC’s draft Drug Summit Position Paper (co-authored by Vendula Belackova, Lucy Phelan, David Chivers, William Frazer, Tim Blunt, and Alison Churchill).
People who have experienced incarceration face a higher incidence of substance dependence and AOD related harm compared to the rest of the community. In this submission, CRC outlines issues faced by people in prison and those exiting prison in accessing AOD support. Recommendations include the introduction of needle and syringe programs (NSPs) in prisons, reducing barriers to people accessing opioid agonist treatment in prison and diverting people from the criminal justice system into appropriate AOD treatment and community supports. CRC draws on an evaluation of its AOD and reintegration support work as a best practice example of how to break intersecting cycles of incarceration and AOD dependence.
Download and read the submission here.
CRC Submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) to the Inquiry into Justice Responses to Sexual Violence (JRSV).
– Prepared by staff of the CRC’s Advocacy, Policy and Research Unit (ARPU) (William Frazer, Lucy Phelan and Sophie Russell), with support and insight from CRC’s CEO Alison Churchill, and CRC program managers and staff (Marisa Moliterno, Ashley Borg, Reylene Galloway, and Alex Faraguna).
Sexual violence, and issues around justice responses to sexual violence, disproportionately impacts people who have previous experiences with the criminal justice system (CJS). This submission advocates for improvements to current justice responses related to reporting, investigation and court processes, as well as advocating for consideration of restorative and alternative justice responses to sexual violence, including therapeutic behaviour change programs.
Download and read the paper here.
CRC Submission to the Astill Inquiry
– Prepared by Lucy Phelan and Marisa Moliterno
In this submission we draw on our long history and experience as a service provider supporting people involved in the criminal justice system to highlight how abuse within prisons (and related systems) can occur.
Download and read the paper here.
CRC Submission to the Department of Social Services on developing the National Housing and Homelessness Plan
– Prepared by Vendula Belackova, William Frazer, Sophie Russell, and Lucy Phelan with Lisa Collins, Ashlea Borg, Kelly Parker, Regina Brady, Jay Tobin, Susan Hawkeswood, Sally Ringrose, Damien Corbridge, Virginia Brill, Terina King, Samuel Hooker
This submission is informed by our practice and experience as a long running evidence-based community organisation working at the intersection of the criminal justice system and housing. We urge that future planning of responses to housing and homelessness in Australia incorporates the experiences of CRC clients and staff, and more broadly people who have been in contact with, and are impacted by, the criminal justice system.
Download and read the paper here.
CRC Submission to the NSW Legislative Council on Accessibility and Appropriate Delivery of Outpatient and Community Mental Health Care in New South Wales
– Prepared by Sophie Russell with Anthony Hayward, Brian Were, Claire McMahon, James Flint, Jay Tobin, Kym Bugmy, Sam Hooker, Susan Hawkeswood, Stephanie Molzan and Vendula Belackova
The aim of this CRC’s submission is to present the perspective of people who have become criminalised in the context of untreated and unsupported mental health concerns. We highlight the various ways criminalised populations are frequently excluded from community mental health services, and as a result, end up being ‘managed’ by criminal justice institutions. This is especially the case for First Nations people. We also take the opportunity to share our expertise with regard to what we have found to work in assisting people with complex support needs to build pathways out of the criminal justice system, specifically highlighting CRC’s Extended Reintegration Service as a model of good practice in supporting people with complex support needs in the community.
Download and read the paper here.
CRC Submission to the National Children’s Commissioner Youth Justice and Child Wellbeing Reform Across Australia
– Prepared by Sophie Russell with Lisa Collins and Lucy Phelan
This submission is informed by our experience and expertise as an organisation working in frontline service delivery with criminalised populations for over 70 years, as well as research projects members of the Research, Policy and Advocacy Unit (APRU) at CRC have been involved in. In this submission, we provide responses to the questions set out by the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and provide information specific to the Community Restorative Centre’s (CRC) model of post-release support for people leaving prison.
Download and read the paper here.
CRC Submission to the Standing Committee on Social Issues on the Coercive Control Exposure Draft Bill 2022
– Prepared by Sophie Russell with Lucy Phelan, Claire McMahon, Marisa Moliterno, Kelly Parker and Chris Sheppard
CRC recognises the very serious and significant impacts of coercive control, particularly on the lives of women and their children. The focus of this submission details CRC’s concerns pertaining to the potential negative impact of the Draft Bill to criminalise women, especially those from marginalised groups, including First Nations women. Our submission draws from our expertise as a community sector organisation providing support to criminalised women and men.
Download and read the paper here.
CRC Submission for New family dispute resolution services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families
– prepared by Riana Tatana, Lucy Phelan and Dr Angela Argent
CRC welcomes this opportunity to support Closing the Gap Initiatives by offering comments and suggestions in relation to the development of new culturally safe family dispute resolution services (FDR) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.
The comments and suggestions provided here are intended to raise practical considerations in relation to enabling new FDR services to meet the needs of First Nations people impacted by the criminal justice system.
Download and read the paper here.
CRC Submission for the Select Committee on the High Level of First Nations People in Custody and Oversight and Review of Deaths in Custody
– Written by First Nations (Post-Release, Transition and AOD Support) staff at CRC including: Kym Bugmy, Terina King, Gail Gray, Melissa Merritt, Tara Morrison, Kelly Parker & Elizabeth Wymarra with Mindy Sotiri (CRC Director Advocacy, Policy and Research)
CRC’s position is that the decarceration of First Nations people is not a ‘wicked’ problem, or an impossible policy dilemma. We believe that dramatic decarceration is entirely possible when there is enough political will, alongside the prioritising of resourcing communities to provide meaningful support for people at risk of incarceration. We know that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities we work with hold the answers, and are waiting for an Australia that is brave enough to sit up and listen.
CRC would like in this report to explicitly acknowledge the work and legacy of Uncle Ray Jackson who served on the Community Restorative Centre board for 10 years, and as an Aboriginal advisor to CRC for many more. Uncle Ray spent his life working to confront systemic racism and violence in criminal justice system settings, as well as supporting and fighting for the families of people who had died in police and prison custody.
Download and read the paper here.
CRC Submission to the House Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs – Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence
– prepared by Dr Mindy Sotiri with Marisa Moliterno, Kelly Parker & Gail Gray
This submission discusses the work of The Miranda Project, and how this innovative, gender specific approach supports women leaving prison at risk of domestic violence and further criminal justice system involvement. The submission spotlights the areas where the sector currently fails to meet the needs of women, whose complex needs can result in being precluded from what services are currently available.
Download and read the paper here.
Submission to Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs Inquiry into Homelessness
– prepared by Dr Mindy Sotiri
If we use the most conservative estimates, each year at least 4000 people leave prison into either homelessness or unstable accommodation. In NSW there are only 38 specialist beds for people leaving prison who are homeless. This submission outlines both the key issues for this group, the current failures of the service sector to meet the needs of people leaving custody into homelessness, and proposes best practice models for supporting this population.
Download and read the paper here.
CRC Submission into the Inquiry into Support for Children of Imprisoned Parents
– by Dr Mindy Sotiri with notes from Ola Elhassen
This submission begins by noting the similarity between the observations and recommendations for the barriers and challenges identified by CRC, submitted to the 1997 Upper House Inquiry into Children of Prisoners. Many of these remain identical, across a span of more than twenty years.
Download and read the paper here.
Special Commission of Inquiry into the Drug ‘Ice’ STATEMENT OF Mindy Sotiri
– Dr Mindy Sotiri
This document is the statement prepared by Dr Mindy Sotiri for the 2019 Inquiry into the Drug ‘Ice’. In this, she discusses how CRC functions with our client group, a vast majority of whom have poly-drug use. She provides context to discuss the key issues facing people during their transition from prison and post-release, and how different areas of disadvantage interact to prevent or diminish the engagement with services.
Download and read the paper here.
Community Restorative Centre Supplementary Briefing Paper for Special Commission into Ice Inquiry
– prepared by Sophie Russell & Dr Mindy Sotiri
This paper asks whether the Risk Needs Responsivity (RNR) model developed in 1990, that has driven a particular approach to therapeutic correctional programs across NSW and other Australian jurisdictions, has been denied the appropriate critical lens due to its presumed singular efficacy. Five key critiques of this approach are overviewed in this briefing paper.
Download and read the paper here.
Throughcare and Reintegration: What Constitutes Best Practice in Community Based Post Release? A Community Restorative Centre Submission
– by Dr Mindy Sotiri & Deirdre Hyslop
This is a Community Restorative Centre Law Reform submission, September, 2017, responding to the Law Reform Report into the over-incarceration of Indigenous people in the criminal justice system. This response engages in two parts; with best practice in post-release support and transitional throughcare, and the second section responding specifically to the needs of women leaving prison.
Download and read the paper here.
The Provision of Services Under the NDIS for People with Disabilities Who are in Contact with the Criminal Justice System
– by Simone Rowe & Jim Simpson with Eileen Baldry & Patrick McGee
People with cognitive impairments are highly represented in the criminal and juvenile justice systems. This over-representation is directly related to the lack of appropriate disability supports commonly available to this group in their communities. The results are deprived and abused lives for the people with cognitive impairments, either cycling in and out of trouble and prison or, for a significant number indefinite detention with no likelihood of release. These problems are particularly marked for First Nations peoples.
Download and read the paper here.
Submission to the Proposed National Disability Insurance Scheme Quality and Safeguarding Framework (April 2015)
– by Simone Rowe, Sophie Russell, Dr Mindy Sotiri (Community Restorative Centre)
With the introduction of the NDIS, at least in its current manifestation, the sustainability of CRCs existing services to people with intellectual and mental disabilities remains unclear. Furthermore, given their complex presentations, there is significant concern that people with intellectual and mental disabilities who are enmeshed in the criminal justice system will not fare well under the NDIS; rather, it appears likely that their incarceration rates will continue to escalate.
Download and read the paper here.
Homelessness in Ex-Prisoner Populations: A CRC Submission for FACS (2016)
– by Dr Mindy Sotiri and Alex Faraguna (Community Restorative Centre)
Sourcing suitable housing and accommodation options for people on release from custody is the single greatest challenge for community organisations working in the space of reintegration and transition. Although it is difficult to gauge the exact numbers of people on release who are exiting into homelessness, what is clear is that this population is significantly over-represented in prisons. What is also clear is that not only does the experience of homelessness significantly increase the risk of imprisonment (and other forms of adverse criminal justice system contact), imprisonment itself increases the likelihood of homelessness.
