“It’s not going to break me.” Mental health and women’s experiences in the prison system. Jane Hegerty and Melanie Mitchell

General Intro/ Painting the environment  Our Role  Work Environment  3 Prisons

Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre

Helana Jones - Albion

General Intro/ Painting the environment  Our Role  Work Environment  3 Prisons  Counselling environment and Restrictions –Physical context and prison procedures

Effect of Prison on Women with Diagnosed Mental Health Conditions  Physical Environment  Access to Support  Medication  Experience of those without mental health concerns  Changes in Mental Health

Effect of Prison on Women with Diagnosed Mental Health Conditions  Physical Environment –Crisis Support Unit –Observation Cells

Effect of Prison on Women with Diagnosed Mental Health Conditions  Access to support –Limited, time delays –Type of support available  Medication –Women’s choice/control

Effect of Prison on Women with Diagnosed Mental Health Conditions  Experience of those without mental health concerns –Other women in prison –Prison staff  Changes in Mental Health – –Lose contact with support on the outside – –Skills/resources deteriorate – –Worse position upon release

Effect of Prison Environment on All Women’s Mental Health & Wellbeing  Prison Context –Physical environment of prison –Prison culture –Maintaining a sense of self –Connection to outside/isolation –Expressing Emotion –Control  Going Home –Reintegration Leave –Home to Stay

Effect of Prison Environment on All Women’s Mental Health & Wellbeing  Physical environment –Limited space to self –Hard to make a space feel like your own  Prison Culture –Practices & Expectations –Officers/Corrective Services –‘Management’ of women –Other Women

Effect of Prison Environment on All Women’s Mental Health & Wellbeing  Maintaining a Sense of Self –Holding onto values and beliefs  Isolation –Family & Friends  Expressing Emotion –Limits and consequences

Effect of Prison Environment on All Women’s Mental Health & Wellbeing  Control –Internal and external  Going Home –Reintegration Leave –Home to stay

Supporting Women who have been through the prison system.  Women Direct Counselling & Support  Create a Safe Space  Respect  Difficulty of Day-to-day tasks  Awareness of control over decisions  Exploration and redefinition of roles and identity  Wariness of systems  Reluctance to trust  Isolation