Sowerbutts S1, Pharo H1, Dodd V1
1Department For Correctional Services
Biography:
Henry Pharo is the Director of Rehabilitation Services with the Department for Correctional Services in South Australia. Henry is a Clinical Psychologist with a strong interest in implementing evidence-based approaches to reducing the rate of reoffending in the South Australian criminal justice system.
This presentation covers some of the understandings which emerged while developing a Violence Prevention Program for Aboriginal men in prison. The program was designed in collaboration with members of the Aboriginal Services Directorate of the South Australian Department for Correctional Services.
Limitations of the Risk-Need-Responsivity model and Good Lives Model in relation to working with this population will be discussed, as will the importance of recognizing the role of trauma. In addition, the Aboriginal concept of kanyini, a term from the Luritja and Pitjantjatjara languages, defined as “holding” by Ryan (2011) and “love with responsibility” by Smitsman, Martens and Laszlo (2019, citing Bob Randall) will be discussed. While kanyini comes from a particular language group, it has equivalent forms across a range of Western Desert dialects (Pleshet, 2018). Trade between Aboriginal nations meant that ideas, too, moved between nations. Thus, many Aboriginal nations, particularly those near the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands (in the northwest of South Australia) have similar concepts. The paper discusses how this concept can be used to recast some common components of violence prevention programs for application in ways more appropriate for Aboriginal clients.