Women’s Prison Roster Group Conscience Minutes – 14 August 2020

Women’s Prison Roster Group Conscience (online) Minutes – 14 August, 2020

Attendees: Meredith C (Chair/minutes), Natalie L, Siarah K, Amelia DC, Victoria S, Fran H

Apologies: Ally D, Yvonne D

Agenda items:

The following Group operational processes were updated:

Group Conscience

Group Conscience will be held every four weeks, to alternate between:

1. Thursday evening 7-8pm (after the H&I Hub meeting); and
2. Saturday 4pm

Meredith C responsible for sending out Group Conscience reminders and meeting link

Roster Process

Meredith C to:

1. Text members on paid work rosters to determine their availability
2. Send out WhatsApp invite to fill remaining prison roster spaces
3. Final roster to be emailed to the Group two weeks in advance
4. Send text message reminder 3 days before each meeting

Facility Meeting Feedback

Members to share:

1. Short written summary via WhatsApp post facility meetings
2. Verbal facility reports at Group Conscience and H&I Hub meetings

Meredith C will send link for Group members to attend H&I Hub meetings

Facility Reports

BWCC meeting numbers are quite low. Secure and residential women attend separate fortnightly meetings which means they only have access to NA once a month.

New Business

Service Sponsors

Group agreed to assign a Service Sponsor and a Group newcomer(s) as Service Support to each correctional facility.

Facility Service Sponsors for:

1. Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre – Fran H
2. Southern Queensland Correctional Centre – Victoria S
3. Helana Jones Correctional Centre – Natalie L

Service Sponsors will take the lead on:

1. Communication with the facility
2. Feedback to the Group and H&I Hub about meeting attendance, emerging issues etc
3. Literature – NA pamphlets for meetings and NA books for prison libraries and detention units
4. Promotion of NA meetings to the women within the facility
5. Provide guidance to Service Support members

Service Support members are encouraged to:

1. Assist Service Sponsors
2. Step in when the Service Sponsor is unavailable

Meredith C to oversee:

1. Management of security clearance applications
2. Facility inductions
3. Custodial awareness training
4. Security clearance renewals

Meeting Promotion

Group discussed the development of a multiple facility flyer to raise awareness of NA meetings and attendance request process.

Literature

Group has access to donated Just for Today and Basic Texts for correctional facilities

Group created a literature service position taken up by Natalie L

Literature Service Officer is responsible for ordering NA literature for all facilities through the FSO

Literature orders to be sent to Meredith C who will distribute the literature to facility Service Sponsors or Service Support members

Literature tax invoices will be passed onto the Board for payment by Meredith C

Youth Detention Centre

Group interested in taking the message of recovery into Brisbane Youth Detention Centre.

Request BWCC combine secure and residential women.
Ask if NA would be able to run weekly meetings, and if so, what day and time.

New Business

Service Sponsors
Group agreed to assign a Service Sponsor and a Group newcomer(s) as Service Support to each correctional facility.

Facility Service Sponsors for:
a) Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre – Fran H
b) Southern Queensland Correctional Centre – Victoria S
c) Helana Jones Correctional Centre – Natalie L

Service Sponsors will take the lead on:
1. Communication with the facility
2. Feedback to the Group and H&I Hub about meeting attendance, emerging issues etc
3. Literature – NA pamphlets for meetings and NA books for prison libraries and detention units
4. Promotion of NA meetings to the women within the facility
5. Provide guidance to Service Support members

Service Support members are encouraged to:
1. Assist Service Sponsors
2. Step in when the Service Sponsor is unavailable

Meredith C to oversee:
1. Management of security clearance applications
2. Facility inductions
3. Custodial awareness training
4. Security clearance renewals

Meeting Promotion
Group discussed the development of a multiple facility flyer to raise awareness of NA meetings and attendance request process.

Action
Distribute draft flyer for Group feedback (Meredith C)
Send flyer feedback to Victoria to prepare revised version (All)
Group to review revised flyer at next H&I Hub meeting (All)
Determine who BWCC meeting attendance request contact is and advise Victoria S (Fran H)
Determine who SQCC meeting attendance request contact is (Victoria S)
Determine Numinbah’s interest and contact details and advise Victoria S (Meredith C)

Literature
Group has access to donated Just for Today and Basic Texts for correctional facilities
Group created a literature service position taken up by Natalie L
Literature Service Officer is responsible for ordering NA literature for all facilities through the FSO
Literature orders to be sent to Meredith C who will distribute the literature to facility Service Sponsors or Service Support members
Literature tax invoices will be passed onto the Board for payment by Meredith C

Youth Detention Centre
Group interested in taking the message of recovery into Brisbane Youth Detention Centre.

Action
Determine Brisbane Youth Detention Centre interest in receiving NA meetings/presentations (Amelia DC)