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Housing - COSPs - new quasi prison system |
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There has been a dangerous development of a quasi-prison system being
created around the resettlement of ex prisoners. Before enacting a new
housing law to evict
Ray (Dennis) Ferguson, he was told a COSP (Community Offender Support
Programs) would be the only place
available for him!
Instead of people ending their sentence and returning to the community
with support from non government organisations and mainstream services,
Corrective Services has begun taking federal homelessness money and
extending the prison system by stealth. They are calling them COSPs
but in reality they are controlled by the prisons department, where
curfews and in some cases even permission to meet family members has to
be granted two weeks in advance.
This is destructive of community support development, takes away the
essential element of personal responsibility and trust and reduces the
money for community organisations involved in post release services.
The prisons departments are already squandering their money and failing
badly. Ray (Dennis) Ferguson was told a COSP would be the only place
available for him! Justifying their system! We must make sure we can
properly support people like Mr Ferguson in the community.
COSP Analysis paper download pdf
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