We're excited to be back with our first Just News of 2021! We start this edition with some organisational updates, as well as a reflection on Australia Day that we published last week and was written by Andy Hamilton.

Executive Director Programs and Chief Operating Officer Sally Parnell sent an email to all staff concerning the Vic Department of Health directives that from Wednesday night (3/12/2020) masks are mandatory in the office and for all public indoor venues. Read Sally's full email here.

CEO Julie Edwards recently provided staff with an update on the Ignatius Learning Centre, hosting an information session for staff wanting to learn more. Julie's progress update email can be read in full here. If you missed the information session but would like to read more about the Ignatius Learning Centre, you can access documents covering the school's Overview, Strategic Plan and Philosophy Statement here. 

Reflecting on Australia Day

Australia Day offers an opportunity to reflect on the relationship between European settlers and our first peoples, and appreciate the lessons we can learn from honouring indigenous connection to land, culture and country, writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ.

Australia Day recalls the arrival of the First Fleet under Governor Phillip in 1788. It marked the beginning of European settlement in Australia and of Indigenous dispossession. For many Indigenous Australians, Australia Day is an occasion for grief. For many other Australians, it is an uncomfortable day, one for rumination, for pondering the creation and the destruction of cultures and for revisiting the relationship between Indigenous peoples and the overseas invaders.

Just Voices participant Jonathan ‘Caution’ Binge wins at National Indigenous Story Awards

Congratulations to Just Voices Speakers Program participant Jonathan ‘Caution’ Binge, who is one of the winners at the 2020 National Indigenous Story Awards.

The Indigenous Story Project “aims to provide an opportunity to gather, (re)generate, and host stories, and thus knowledges, through spoken word, in music, in film, in visual arts, writing, and all multimedia forms”.

Caution is a proud Gamilaraay, Dunghutti and Gumbaynggirr man and a writer, poet and hip hop performer.

He won the award for his rap “Mum” which was recorded at the Artful Dodgers Studios by producer Jesse Sullivan.

Sixth Victoria Police Diversity Recruitment Program participant enters Victoria Police Academy

The Victoria Police Diversity Recruitment Program (VPDRP) recently entered Round Five, and saw its sixth participant receive an offer to enter the Victoria Police Academy. It can take approximately one year for participants in the program to successfully pass all recruitment components before being offered a place at the Victoria Police Academy. The journey is worth it but there can be times when patience and resilience are needed.

Birty joined the VPDRP as part of our Round 2 cohort and completed the Course for Policing Recruitment Pathways in partnership with Victoria University, before sitting the Victoria Police Entrance Exam in September 2019. While only a few marks off, unfortunately, Birty didn’t pass the exam on the first or second go. With a lot of hard work and persistence, Birty studied hard and didn’t lose sight of her goal.

Birty successfully passed the exam on the third attempt in February 2020 and went on to achieve all remaining recruitment components, before entering the Victoria Police Academy in October 2020. Birty has received fantastic marks for her law and practical exams at the Victoria Police Academy and is looking forward to joining Victoria Police as a Police Officer when she graduates in April 2021.

LPDU has released its 2021 Staff Training Calendar!

The Learning and Practice Development Unit is bringing us another schedule of exciting training offerings. This semester all training will be offered over Zoom; interstate colleagues are encouraged to join where you can.

New to the calendar is training offered on improving your skills on JeSS. LPDU will run a session designed specifically for staff in leadership roles and another for front line workers. These interactive sessions will give you opportunities to learn tips and ask questions on how to most effectively use the JeSS database.

The Men’s Project will again run a session on Exploring the Man Box. This was hugely popular last semester so we encourage you to enrol quickly if you would like to attend.

There will also be a session on Resisting Collusion facilitated by the Northern Integrated Family Violence Service which will explore how you can identify and resist colluding with men who use family violence.

The training calendar also offers sessions on A Shared Understanding of Family Violence; True Colours: An introduction to LGBTIQ+ inclusive practice; and Yarning about Cultural Safety which are core trainings for all practice staff. Please check your training records and speak with your line manager if you are yet to complete these trainings or if it’s time for a refresher.  

Finally, if you would like to enrol in training, please respond to staff.training@jss.org.au with your line-manager cc-ed in.

Exploring the needs of people on Community Correction Orders and opportunities to improve rehabilitative pathways

Rates of imprisonment have consistently risen in Australia over the past few decades. In addition to the significant economic cost, research shows that prison is not an effective deterrent and may itself lead to criminal behaviour. Community-based options show promise in relation to recidivism reduction and cost effectiveness.

In Victoria, the Community Corrections Order (CCO) is a sentencing option that enables people to serve their sanction in the community, with access to treatment or other rehabilitative support.

Julie Edwards wrote a letter to The Age last week supporting raising the age of criminal responsibility. Read it here.

Our Dropping off the Edge report is referenced in this article about the Mornington Peninsula.

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