RETURNING to society after being incarcerated for a number of years can be challenging in so many ways yet with community support and acceptance will be made a whole lot easier.
Perhaps the most efficient way to assist prisoners for a successful reintegration is to help them become contributing members of society before they are released, which is exactly what the pre-release ‘section 95’ prisoners from Bunbury Regional Prison are doing when they come to Bridgetown to work on community projects.
St Paul’s Anglican church are the current beneficiaries of the section 95 workers, who have been hard at work building embankments on two sides of a new car park as well as dry stone walling, new paths, general weeding and other gardening around the grounds.
St Paul’s parishioner and property manager Adrian Williams has been guiding the workers and is very pleased with the progress so far.
“It is absolutely great to have these guys here working with us,” Mr Williams said.
“This project would not be possible to do without their assistance and the whole parish is very grateful for the works so far.”
Bunbury pre-release Prisoners have assisted with a number of other projects in Bridgetown, having helped to construct a shelter as part of the ‘Old Abattoir Walk trail’ for the Bridgetown Greenbushes shire and assisting with renovations on other community buildings.
The current project at the church provide prisoners with an opportunity to be trained in the specialised field of stonemason, which may held lead to work for them once they are released.
Bunbury Regional Prison Superintendent Kerri Bishop said she was pleased with the positive feedback received from the Bridgetown community so far along with the many benefits to the prisoners.
“This community project brings many positives within the community as well as for the prisoners bridging gaps,” Ms Bishop said.
“The opportunity for prisoner participation in these activities is focused towards providing the opportunity to rehabilitate, reintegrate and provide a level of reparation to the community with the aim of reducing re-offending.
“Prisoners involved with this current project have an opportunity to be trained in the erection of a stonemason wall which is a specialised trade that will ideally lead to work in the community upon release.”
Mr Williams said the project would take many weeks to complete and he was looking forward to continuing work with the Section 95’ers.
“The teams of workers we have had have always shown good conduct and exemplary behaviour, so we would welcome them back at any time.”