Page 2660 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 28 June 2011
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Feedback from the consultation process reiterated the importance of looking at the Burnet report and the outlined recommendations within the context of other reviews and processes occurring simultaneously—for example, the relationship with the Knowledge Consulting report and the resulting advice provided by the AMC task force established to consider its recommendations.
The chair of the AMC task force, Ms Bernadette Mitcherson, Executive Director of ACT Corrective Services, has been closely involved in the preparation of the proposed final response. This should assist in ensuring consistency, where relevant, with the responses to both reports.
The Burnet report made 69 separate recommendations, of which 20 are now either complete or partially complete. There are three recommendations made within the report relating to policy and governance, including recommendations for the Health Directorate and the Justice and Community Safety Directorate to develop a consolidated strategic policy framework to provide clear governance regarding drug-related policy and services. All three recommendations have been agreed.
In the feedback received there was strong support for the establishment of a high level joint Justice and Community Safety Directorate, Health Directorate advisory group that would have an ongoing role to advise the Director-General of the Health Directorate and have responsibility for making recommendations on the implementation of integrated health policies and services in the AMC. The group will also be tasked with advising on the implementation of the actions outlined in the response to the Burnet report.
The intent of this mechanism is to support the independent and ongoing administrative responsibilities of the Health Directorate in relation to the AMC. This is consistent with the spirit of the Corrections Management Act 2007, section 21, which speaks to the role of the doctor appointed by the chief executive responsible for the Public Health Act 1997 in respect to providing health services to detainees.
Further, the Health Directorate will work with the Justice and Community Safety Directorate to ensure the health-related recommendations are implemented in a coordinated manner and to develop a new overarching consolidated strategic and policy framework for drugs and drug services at the AMC that builds on the existing strengths and outcomes and, where feasible, the weaknesses identified in the report. A further seven recommendations were made in relation to supply reduction. Implementation of supported recommendations in this area will all be completed within the next six months.
The government has also commissioned further work in relation to recommendation 69. This recommendation proposes that a process should be commenced to instigate a trial needle and syringe program at the AMC. The government has commissioned Michael Moore from the Public Health Association to progress work on how the government could instigate a trial needle and syringe program at the AMC. Mr Moore will lead work covering potential models for a needle and syringe program, how they could work in a prison setting, barriers to implementation at the AMC and whether these barriers could be overcome. This work is due to be completed in July 2011.
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