The Kunga Stopping Violence Program, based in Mparntwe/Alice Springs, is a throughcare program supporting Aboriginal women who have been incarcerated in the Alice Springs Correctional Centre for an alleged violent offence. ‘Throughcare’ involves the coordinated provision of support, beginning when a person first enters prison and continuing until they are living a safe, fulfilling and trouble-free life back out in the community.
The Kunga Stopping Violence Program runs a four-week violence-prevention course in the prison, usually twice a year. Participation is voluntary, and Kunga women (clients) are visited regularly by case managers and assisted to plan and prepare for their release from prison. Upon release, KSVP continues to provide support for at least twelve months in the form of (but not limited to) home visits, referrals, social programs, a drop in space at the KSVP office and mentoring.
Standing Strong Together featured featured this short documentary which was produced in December 2020. The women featured in this story have completed the Kunga Stopping Violence Program workshop in prison, and are currently being supported by KSVP on the outside. The women interviewed each other about their experiences with the program, and their hopes and dreams for the future, as part of a wider evaluation project conducted by Dr Heather Anderson from Griffith University, supported by the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency.
Listen to this very moving documentary here.
The evaluation report is hosted at apo.org.au/node/310643
Music Credit: In the clouds by Stefan Kartenberg (c) copyright 2019 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. dig.ccmixter.org/files/JeffSpeed68/59123 Ft: Javolenus