Supporting justice-involved people with extreme complex needs in the Australian community: a third sector practice perspective
-
Published:2021-12-03
Issue:1
Volume:13
Page:45-55
-
ISSN:2050-8824
-
Container-title:Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behaviour
-
language:en
-
Short-container-title:JIDOB
Author:
Hanley Natalia,Simpson Helen,Tauri Juan M.
Abstract
Purpose
This qualitative research aims to explore staff perspectives on working effectively with people with intellectual disability who are in contact with the criminal justice system.
Design/methodology/approach
Taking a case study approach, staff working for a third sector community organisation were interviewed about the components of effective work with their customers. The staff supported people engaged in the Community Justice Program.
Findings
Staff consistently described relationship building as the most important part of their work. There were three components to relationship building: the process of relationship building, the elements of a high-quality staff–customer relationship and the staff skills needed to develop a good relationship.
Originality/value
This paper makes two contributions to the literature. First, it focuses our attention on a third sector organisation supporting people in contact with the justice system as opposed to a formal criminal justice agency. Second, the paper seeks to understand the processes and skills staff deploy to build a high-quality relationship with criminal justice-involved people with intellectual disability.
Subject
Psychiatry and Mental health,Clinical Psychology,Pshychiatric Mental Health,Pathology and Forensic Medicine
Reference36 articles.
1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2018), “Prisoners in Australia, 2018”, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra, available at: www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4517.0
2. The place of the officer-offender relationship in assisting offenders to desist from crime;Probation Journal,2005