Lands, and have a multi-functional role to provide facilities for detention, detoxification, treatment and rehabilitation as outlined in these findings.' Mr Powell told me that Department for Correctional Services had been planning a low-security correctional facility on or adjacent to the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands since 1999, well before the 2002 inquests (T39). He said that the following key issues which called for the establishment of such a facility had been identified: ' A lack of culturally-appropriate custodial sentencing options available to the courts for Aboriginal offenders in traditional communities. The Department recognises that traditional Aboriginal people have different to those living in urban or regional centres with respect to incarceration, rehabilitation, health and spiritual wellbeing; Some models of community-based management of offenders on the Lands rely to a significant degree on the capacity of community councils and families to assist with supervision. These models are sustainable only if the Department can guarantee these local resources regular and consistent support, including the temporary removal of chronic offenders from their offending environment where necessary; There is a lack of suitable placements for remanded traditional Aboriginal offenders, as well as for those already subject to custodial sentences.' (Exhibit C8, p6) Mr Powell told me that a number of sites had been examined but none was found to be suitable. A property came on the market in 2001 but there was no capital or recurrent funding to purchase the land or develop the facility at that time. The property was later sold. Although Mr Powell said that the Department was happy that such a facility could run parallel with a health facility and other programs aimed at assisting petrol ‘in sniffers/solvent abusers’, he had reservations about whether it could fulfil a combined function of correctional facility and rehabilitation facility for severely affected people, requiring tertiary interventions (Exhibit C8, p9). That was also the view of Ms Mazel, the Chair of the ALTF. Ms Mazel made it clear that she also considers the two functions could not operate in a combined facility. She said: 'I there has been probably a fairly traditional view that mixing a health service with a correctional facility probably isn’t the best way of managing either facility. Because we
Lands, and have a multi-functional role to provide facilities for detention, detoxification, treatment and rehabilitation as outlined in these findings.' Mr Powell told me that Department for Correctional Services had been planning a low-security correctional facility on or adjacent to the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands since 1999, well before the 2002 inquests (T39). He said that the following key issues which called for the establishment of such a facility had been identified: ' A lack of culturally-appropriate custodial sentencing options available to the courts for Aboriginal offenders in traditional communities. The Department recognises that traditional Aboriginal people have different to those living in urban or regional centres with respect to incarceration, rehabilitation, health and spiritual wellbeing; Some models of community-based management of offenders on the Lands rely to a significant degree on the capacity of community councils and families to assist with supervision. These models are sustainable only if the Department can guarantee these local resources regular and consistent support, including the temporary removal of chronic offenders from their offending environment where necessary; There is a lack of suitable placements for remanded traditional Aboriginal offenders, as well as for those already subject to custodial sentences.' (Exhibit C8, p6) Mr Powell told me that a number of sites had been examined but none was found to be suitable. A property came on the market in 2001 but there was no capital or recurrent funding to purchase the land or develop the facility at that time. The property was later sold. Although Mr Powell said that the Department was happy that such a facility could run ‘in parallel with a health facility and other programs aimed at assisting petrol sniffers/solvent abusers’, he had reservations about whether it could fulfil a combined function of correctional facility and rehabilitation facility for severely affected people, requiring tertiary interventions (Exhibit C8, p9). That was also the view of Ms Mazel, the Chair of the ALTF. Ms Mazel made it clear that she also considers the two functions could not operate in a combined facility. She said: 'I there has been probably a fairly traditional view that mixing a health service with a correctional facility probably isn’t the best way of managing either facility. Because we
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