Identifying Rehabilitation Priorities Among Ex-prisoners Vulnerable to Mental llnesses and Substance Abuse

Abstract

A substantial proportion of the overall cost of prisons in developed countries can be attributed to ex-prisoners returnrig to prison after release. Internationally, reincarceration estimates are as high as 55% within five years of release (Durose, Cooper & Snyder, 2014; Fazel & Wolf, 2015). In Australia, a national adult prison census on 30 June 2016 found that 56.2% of 38,845 prisoners had prior incarcerations (ABS, 2016). The same national census reported that 64% of Queensland prisoners had prior incarcerations, 91% were male, and 32% were indigenous (Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders) (ABS, 2016). Reincarceration remains challenging in Australia and in other developed countries, because decades of research and substantial investment in prison-based programs, transition programs, and post-release supervision, do not appear to have reduced reincarceration rates.