AN emergency shelter for women and children will take delivery of a cubbyhouse made by prisoners wanting to make amends for harm done to the community.
Reducing reoffending assistant director Natalie Sangalli said reparation efforts at Acacia Prison in 2017 focused on youth at risk, homelessness, and family and domestic violence.
The Eastern Region Domestic Violence Services Network (Koolkuna) is among those local organisations nominated by prison staff to receive support.
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READ NOW“Many prisoners are family and domestic violence perpetrators, so reparation to a local women’s service is particularly powerful,” Ms Sangalli said.
A group of 10 prisoners pooled their ideas for community projects with staff volunteers, which included the playhouse recently built as part of a chaplaincy program.
Ms Sangalli said a prisoner at Acacia developed the Powertools program with chaplains to encourage prisoners to participate in handyman activities.
“Through the program, participants reflect on their own experiences, life choices and understanding of community and relationships,” she said.
The cubby makers elected to donate their gift to Koolkuna.
Koolkuna chief executive officer Robyn Fitall thanked those involved in the project and said the cubbyhouse would be well used by children at the shelter.
More than 28 prisoners last week attended a prisoner reparation program to volunteer their ideas and time to those groups nominated for assistance throughout the year.
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