Tania Lawrence (Hasluck, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I come from a place of incredible privilege. Like many here, I have been afforded an education, a roof over my head and a life free from violence. I recently visited Bandyup Women's Prison in West Swan in Hasluck. The majority of women there have suffered family and domestic violence, and sadly those experiences form part of the reason why many of them are there. Prisons are difficult places. I was so pleasantly surprised to see the great, dedicated and caring support by the correctional officers and the rehabilitation practices being implemented that help fill the very gaps that have occurred in their lives, including in education and health care. About 50 per cent of the inmates at Bandyup are Indigenous, underscoring the continuing need for us to work to close the gap across this and other measures. The women are supported at the end of their sentences through a carefully staged release process, and this includes receiving a second-hand phone upon release with important numbers for them to engage with continuing support. The ability to communicate with others is incredibly important for everyone, but for domestic violence survivors who already face isolation, particularly in remote communities, it can be the thing that saves their lives. I have already initiated the DV Safe Phone program in my Hasluck office, which is now a busy drop-off point for phones, and I encourage my colleagues across all sides of parliament to become that drop-off zone for DV Safe Phone.