Tackling Indigenous Incarceration Through Promoting Engagement with Higher Education

Abstract

Amnesty International has identified soaring Indigenous incarceration rates as one of the most significant social justice and policy issues facing Australia. Indigenous Australians are twelve times more likely to be incarcerated than other Australians, mostly due to high recidivism rates. While a higher education qualification can significantly decrease reoffending rates post-release, accessing this type of education in correctional centres is becoming ever more difficult as providers move their program offerings online. As a result, prisoners are progressively excluded from higher education. This is particularly the case for Indigenous prisoners who often have lower levels of educational attainment than their non-Indigenous counterparts, further marginalising them. The University of Southern Queensland is leading a project, Making the Connection, aimed at facilitating increased participation of prisoners, particularly Indigenous prisoners, in digital higher education. In this way, the project aims to assist incarcerated students to develop critical thinking skills, digital literacies and the capacity for self-reflection. In addition, it seeks to enhance the prospects for employment on release and promote positive connection to families and communities. Such outcomes are expected to reduce the risk of reoffending upon release, by equipping people with the cognitive tools needed to engage constructively with families, communities and an increasingly digital society.