Suicide
On Tuesday 2 December 2008 Professor James Ogloff spoke on Suicide in Prisons: From Understanding to Prevention. Professor Ogloff is Professor of Clinical Forensic Psychology and Director of the Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science at Monash University and Director of Psychological Services at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health, Thomas Embling Hospital.  He was formerly the Director of Mental Health for British Columbia Corrections in Canada. In that role he developed and implemented a comprehensive mental health service system for prisons, which included suicide screening and prevention. Mary Porter, AM, MLA, sponsored the forum in the Legislative Assembly Reception Room. Roslyn Dundas, director of ACTCOSS was in the chair. VYNE @ OZHELP and the Coalition jointly organised the event. Listen to Professor Ogloff address here and answers to questions here. 

Read more about suicide and self harm both within prison and after people are released. 

Stigma as an impediment to good health policy
    On Friday 14 March 2008 David McDonald, a leading consultant in social
    research spoke on "How fear and stigma inhibit good health policy". The
    Attorney-General, Simon Corbell, MLA introduced the speaker [audio here] and
    participated in the discussion that followed. Ara Creswell, Director of the
    ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) chaired the event. The ACT Hepatitis
    C Council & AIDS Action Council of the ACT organised the forum. An audio of
    David McDonald's presentation [Audio] and his overheads [Overheads] are available.

Diversion of young offenders from youth detention
    On Thursday 20 March 2008 Dr Julia Tresidder of the Australian Institute of
    Criminology led a forum on "Exploring Diversions: Implications of the new
    ACT Prison and Youth Detention Centre".
    Meredith Hunter, Director of the Youth Coalition of the ACT, which organised
    the event chaired it. An audio of Dr Julia Tresidder's presentation with
    introduction by Meredith Hunter is available here>> [Audio].

The need to pay attention to the operational regime if the prison is to
    promote mental health
    On Wednesday 16 April 2008 Professor Ian Webster AO launched a study
    "Healthy or harmful? Mental health and the operational regime of the new ACT
    prison". Professor Webster was introduced by Mr Brendan Smyth, MLA, Deputy
    Leader of the Opposition & Shadow Minister for Mental Health. The
    introduction by Brendan Smyth can be found here [Audio] and the
    launch by Professor Ian Webster can be found here [Audio] [Speaking notes].
    The study can be downloaded here [ PDF file].
   

The provision of sterile syringes and the reduction of occupational health
    and safety risk in the new prison
    On Tuesday 24 June, 2008 John Ryan, Chief Executive Officer of Anex in
    Victoria addressed the question: "Can NSPs reduce OH&S risk in the AMC?
    Syringes and Work Safety in the new ACT prison." Anex is the leading
    community-based organisation promoting and supporting Needle and Syringe
    Programs.  John Ryan is Chair of the Anex Needle and Syringe Programs in
    Prison Committee. The forum was organised by Families and Friends for Drug
    Law Reform. Listen to audio here>> .

     From the point of view of injecting drug users and the community as a
    whole, there are overwhelming public health reasons in favour of needle and
    syringe programs (NSPs) in prisons.  This forum focussed not on this but on
    the cause of most reluctance to introduce a NSP in the new ACT prison when
    it opens in a few months time, namely concern for the safety of staff.
    There are strong reasons to believe that in fact a NSP in prisons would
    eliminate the substantial number of needle stick injuries which occur during
    searches.