Investigating the post-release support needs of African-Australians who have been imprisoned in Victoria
The number of African Australians in contact with the Victorian justice system has been increasing since the mid-2000s. Little is known, however, about the imprisonment experiences and post-release needs and outcomes of this group.
Using a social ecological framework, this project explores the post-imprisonment needs of African Australians in Victoria, with a focus on the role of individuals, family and community in achieving reintegration.
Our findings highlight the need for culturally responsive ways of supporting African Australians released from prison, and suggest that the African concept of ubuntu provides a useful framework for culturally responsive post-release support and reintegration practices.
Photo: The Project Team at the African Studies Group's Borders, Identities and Belonging Conference (L to R): Professor Karen Karen Farquharson, Selba Luka (CEO and Founder, Afri-Aus Care), Dr Diana Johns and Dr Gerald Onsando.
This project was supported through the Melbourne Social Equity Institute's 2018 Seed Funding Round.
Dr Gerald Onsando [School of Social and Political Sciences]
Dr Diana Johns [School of Social and Political Sciences]
Professor Karen Farquharson [School of Social and Political Sciences]
Dr Greg Armstrong [Melbourne School of Population and Global Health]
Project Report
The Reintegration and Resettlement of African Australians Released from Prison: Towards an Ubuntu Framework of Support report was officially launched on Friday 13 March 2020 as part of the Borders, Identities and Belonging in a Cosmopolitan Society Conference.
For information about this project, please contact:
Dr Gerald Onsando
School of Social and Political Sciences
Faculty of Arts
Phone: +61 3 8344 5394
Email: g.onsando@unimelb.edu.au
@onsando