The Australian Institute of Criminology has released a new study evaluating a co-located caseworker program for incarcerated women. Undertaken by researchers from the University of New South Wales and University of Newcastle, the evaluation found:
- There were significant benefits to employing co-located caseworkers in prisons to act as a point of contact and source of information for both women in custody and external child protection caseworkers.
- By increasing mother–child contact, the program has the potential to improve the wellbeing, motivation and behaviour of women in custody.
- The evaluation also demonstrated that the program could have important benefits for the children of women in custody.