Promising Practice Programs

Preventing Prisoner Rape Project - Prisoner Rape Support Package

Agency	Dulwich Centre PO Box 7192 Hutt St Adelaide South Australia 5000 Phone (08) 82233966 Fax (08) 8232 4441 Email dulwich@senet.com.au
Website	http://www.dulwichcentre.com.au
Contact	David Denborough
Start date	TBA
End date	Ongoing
Program type	Therapeutic responses to victim/survivors Training for other community groups/organisations Service provider training Community awareness/education
Geographical area	Australia wide
Target group	Adult survivors Male victim/survivors Service providers Criminal justice agencies The aim is also to develop a similar package for female survivors of prisoner rape.
Description	The Prisoner Rape Support Package has been developed by the Preventing Prisoner Rape Project to try to provide assistance to men who have been raped or sexually assaulted in prison. This project aims to: Raise awareness about the issue of rape in prisons Reach out and support prison rape survivors Support those workers both inside and outside prisons who are trying to deal with the issue of sexual violence in detention, and Bring about appropriate law reform and changes to prison administration in order to prevent prisoner rape. This package relates to men's experience of sexual assault in prisons. In future a similar package for female survivors of prisoner rape is intended to be developed. While the key area of concern relates to men's and women's prisons, the project is also concerned about sexual violence in juvenile justice centres, secure mental health facilities, and immigration detention centres. Work in Progress A draft support package in written form has been developed for male prison rape survivors. It is currently being distributed and feedback/evaluation is being sort on the package. When complete a written version as well as tapes and CDs will to be produced and made available to current prisoners or ex-prisoners who have experienced sexual violence in detention. A draft support package for women prisoners and ex-prisoners will be commenced in the near future. The group is reaching out to workers both inside and outside prisons who are trying to respond to this issue in their own ways. Links are being made with other groups committed to prison reform, prison action, prisoner support and so on. Stories, documents, records, reports of prison rape from across Australia are being sought to build a case that prisoner rape is an issue that needs to be taken seriously and addressed in this country. A number of lawyers have been approached to see if they would be interested in investigating the possibility of introducing legislation inspired by that which has been and is being developed in the US. Strong links are maintained with the Stop Prisoner Rape people in the US who wish to support the project in any way that they can and may arrange for one of their workers to visit and give a speaking tour in the future.
Promising practice examples	Takes account of contemporary research and practice developments in the field of sexual assault Contributes to improving systems' responses to sexual assault, and is directed at preventing sexual assault Demonstrates a sensitivity towards the barriers faced by victim/survivors in disclosing and reporting sexual assault Has a clearly defined conceptual framework Includes processes of accountability and evaluation, and Demonstrates a capacity for replication (i.e. other services/organisations could adapt/re-model the program for their use).
Based on existing program	Stop Prisoner Rape in the United States has had significant success in the last few years in making the issue of prisoner rape a national issue in that country. Subsequently a federal law has now been passed and every state government is required to take a 'zero tolerance policy' to rape in prison. Stephen Donaldson, one of the key early members of Stop Prisoner Rape who has since died of AIDS after acquiring HIV through rape in prison would be amazed at what has been achieved. There is now money and research and more importantly, significant action being taken to address the issue of prisoner rape in the US. David Denborough met Stephen Donaldson, in the 1990s, when Stop Prisoner Rape was simply operating from Stephen's New York apartment. Inspired by what has been achieved in the USA since that time, David helped form the core group in Adelaide who are now determined to try to do something similar here in Australia.
Philosophical framework	Narrative Therapy ideas inform the responses to survivors.
Research informing program	Heilpern, D. (1998): Fear of favour: sexual assault of young prisoners. Lismore: Southern Cross University Press. Human Rights Watch, (2001) No Escape: Male rape in U.S.Prisons. New York: Human Rights Watch. O'Leary, P. (1998) 'Liberation from self-blame: Working with men who have experienced childhood sexual abuse'. Dulwich Centre Journal, 4:24-40. Republished 1999 in Dulwich Centre Publications (eds) Extending narrative therapy: a collection of practice-based papers (chapter 12), pp. 159-187. Sabo, D., Kupers T., & London, W. (2001): Prison masculinities. Philadelphia: Temple Press. Preventing Prisoner Rape: www.dulwichcentre.com.au (follow the links from the home page) Stop Prisoner Rape (US based organisation): www.spr.org This website contains comprehensive information and writing about rape in US prisons.
Publications Resources	Denborough, David (2005) Prisoner rape support package: addressing sexual assault in men's prisons' The International Journal of Narrative Therapy No. 2, pp. 29-37 Denborough, David (ed) (1996) Beyond the prison: Gathering dreams of freedom. Adelaide: Dulwich Centre Publications .
Evaluation	Evaluation in written form attached to information package.

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