‘Just a bunch of what ifs and unknowns’: The post-prison service provision experiences of people in Canberra, Australia

Abstract

Return-to-prison rates in Australia are high, with the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) having the highest rate. Research has consistently shown the importance of service provision while a person is incarcerated and post-release in overcoming post-release challenges that may lead to reincarceration. This article draws on the qualitative experiences of 11 people who had recently been released from the ACT adult prison, the Alexander Maconochie Centre. Participants felt there were limited programs inside prison to help them with adjusting to life post-release and some suggested that programming both during and after incarceration should focus on developing self-efficacy. Point-of-release service delivery was particularly lacking. We recommend more efforts to connect people with service providers before release, to facilitate the development of trusting relationships that will be beneficial for service delivery post-release.