New employment options for female detainees at AMC


Released 20/10/2017

The new Alexander Maconochie Centre bakery is now operational, offering female detainees industry specific employment for the first-time.

Minister for Corrections Shane Rattenbury said employment in prison work industries has become recognised as a rehabilitation tool in many of Australia’s corrections facilities.

“It’s vital that we equip detainees with the skills they need to reintegrate back into the wider community,” Mr Rattenbury said.

“There are six female detainees working six hour shifts, five days a week. In the coming year the bakery will provide up to 15 women with meaningful work. By the end of the year, female detainees will be able to pursue a Certificate II (Retail Bakery Assistant) qualification.

“As the bakery develops, this will have flow-on effects. As we employ more women, these initial workers will be trained to become supervisors to support other women increase their skills in this industry,” Mr Rattenbury said.

“Unlike big commercial bread producers who have large automated machinery, the AMC bakery is more of a manual operation. This allows for greater number of employees and greater opportunities for skill development.

“The bakery will soon have the capacity to produce sufficient baked goods to meet the demands of the whole prison - 365 days per year for up to 480 detainees.

“We have appointed a head baker and will be considering the appointment of a second baker in 2018, which will help ACT Corrective Services increase the number of female detainees working in the bakery.”

The approximate annual quantities the bakery will produce when in full production are:

  • 19,000 loaves of bread
  • 167,000 lunch rolls
  • 55,000 muffin/cake portions
  • 8,000 biscuits

Some of the training available to detainees in the bakery includes White Card (Work Safety), Provide First Aid, Use Hygienic Practices in Food Safety and Provide Production Assistance for Bread Products

“The training offered can feed into recognised trade qualifications should detainees wish to pursue this avenue after their release,” Mr Rattenbury said.

“It also introduces a meaningful daily routine which in turn helps to address offending behaviour and promotes pro-social interactions.

“Facilitating a better structured day for detainees at the Centre while improving the chances of gaining and retaining employment on release addresses key concerns raised by the Auditor-General in 2015.”

Savings from the AMC’s accommodation expansion project was used to fund the new bakery, expanded laundry and multipurpose activities centre. The $7 million project is now completed.

- Statement ends -

Shane Rattenbury, MLA | Media Releases

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