AGY-4800 | Prisoners' Aid Association of New South Wales

Full description

The Prisoners Aid Association was established ‘towards the end of 1901’ with the encouragement of the Attorney General. By 1902 there was Central Council in Sydney and branches of the Association were established in Goulburn, Bathurst and Dubbo and the results in the first year were encouraging. (1) It appears that while the Association was voluntary (non-government), it reported to a Managing Secretary located in a Branch of the Department of Prisons known as the Discharged Prisoners’ Branch. During the Association’s first year 456 applications of assistance were received and the Association provided assistance to 341 of these prisoners including assistance in procuring work by paying fees at registry offices, supplying tools of trade; swags for ex-prisoners seeking work in country areas, providing accommodation until the prisoners secured employment, and helping in the restoration of family relationships. It was reported that the rate of recidivism was low amongst prisoners assisted by the Association. (2) In 1907 it was reported that the Association provided lectures to prisoners. The branch network had extended to most country towns where Gaols were situated. In 1907 a system of Conditional release was introduced into the correctional system. Members of the Association collaborated with officers of the Prisons Department in providing ‘friendly and sympathetic guardianship at a most critical stage on the road to reform’. The members of the Ladies’ Committee visited female prisoners and read to them while they were knitting and sewing and generally showing their desire to care for them (3) The Association continued to work in colloration with the Department of Corrective Services and was still in existence in 2005. Endnotes
(1) Department of Prisons Annual Report, 1902 p. 7
(2) Ibid Appendix II p. 31- 32 (3) Department of Prisons Annual Report 1907 p. 5