"Interacting with the community does help with coming back into society after being in prison."
So said one of the inmates in our care at the Serco-operated Clarence Correctional Centre ('Clarence') in Australia, reflecting on being part of our team of colleagues and inmates who helped deliver 'the biggest and best Grafton Jacaranda Festival in history'.
Around the world, Serco provides essential services across the justice system, from the safe and secure operation of prisons to managing the reintegration of offenders into society. By pursuing a rehabilitative approach to justice, our Serco Justice colleagues help to rebuild lives, reduce the burden on government, and improve public safety.
For our colleagues at Clarence, the meaningful engagement of inmates in local community support initiatives is a foundation stone for effective rehabilitation:
In late 2022, Clarence launched a new programme of community-based projects, bringing personnel and prisoners together in charitable support for causes around the Clarence Valley region, which many of them consider home.
The 'Community Initiatives' programme is managed by various members of our Clarence team, including Bree Hiatt, Communication & Community Engagement Manager and Cherie Goodwin, Manager Inmate Services.
"Each of these projects is a collaborative effort involving multiple stakeholders," says Bree, "including local and state government, local businesses and non-profit organisations, and the community themselves. Together, we explored ideas and developed plans, focused on positive impact for local communities and those in our care."
The first three major projects in the programme involved partnering with volunteer organisation, BlazeAid, social services agency, Anglicare, and the Clarence Valley Council.
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BlazeAid: Led by a Serco Trade Instructor and working closely with BlazeAid volunteers for more than six months, Clarence inmates rebuilt fences for more than 60 farms across the region. This partnership significantly expedited local recovery from natural disaster fires and floods, helping BlazeAid to support other communities in need.
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Anglicare North Coast: Clarence colleagues and inmates worked alongside Anglicare personnel for several days, filling Christmas hampers for families in need, including those affected by natural disasters and domestic violence. Inmates were also offered the opportunity to donate funds for hamper stock, raising $1,500, which was matched by Serco.
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Streets as Shared Spaces: Part of a state programme with funding from Clarence Valley Council, the local 'Streets as Shared Spaces' project focused on urban revitalisation in the nearby city of Grafton. Our contribution included the design, production, installation and decoration of city street planter boxes, which involved inmates and the Clarence 'Industries' team as well as council work crews.
"These initiatives exemplify our shared commitment to supporting local development and assisting the Clarence Valley community in times of crisis," said Tony Voss, General Manager for Clarence.
"I could not be more proud of our partnership with Serco," said Mark Blackadder, Grafton Jacaranda Festival Manager. "[The] community are talking about the strength of the partnership. It is an honour to witness the incredibly hard work of inmates and staff this past week, instrumental in delivering the biggest and best Grafton Jacaranda Festival in history."
Another big and recent win for the Community Initiatives Team was the support they coordinated in aid of the biggest event in the local community calendar, the Grafton Jacaranda Festival.
The longest running event of its kind in Australia, the Grafton Jacaranda Festival is a 10-day, non-profit community celebration that relies heavily on local business support and volunteers.
Although Serco has supported the festival previously, this was the first occasion that Serco colleagues and Clarence inmates joined the 'Purple Army' of local volunteers in person.
"This is one of those events that helps to keep a community alive – a vibrant pillar of local identity and wellbeing," says Bree Hiatt. "The Festival Committee have estimated that 2023 was the largest ever celebrated, attracting c.45,000 people and injecting an estimated $4.4million into the local economy. We were thrilled to play a meaningful role in making it happen, helping to counter the challenges of local volunteering fatigue and an ageing volunteer population."
The Community Initiative Team worked with the committee to identify and address resource and capability gaps, seeking innovative ways for Clarence colleagues and inmates to contribute to the event’s success.
In addition to inclusive touches like covering the cost of sign language interpreters to translate the main festival ceremony for the hearing impaired, Serco efforts included:
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Managing the festival headquarters: Over 16 days, more than 40 Serco staff volunteered to run the Jacaranda Festival Headquarters, working 8-hour shifts. This central hub served visitors and community members seeking information and merchandise, taking c.$55,000 in sales, which will be invested in the 2024 festival.
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Setting up and packing down throughout the festival: For nine days, Clarence inmates were doing the lifting, shifting and other important hands-on work that helps a major public event run like clockwork.
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Bringing street parade favourites back to life: Back inside Clarence, another group of inmates worked under the guidance of a Serco Trade Instructor to transform two old and unsafe float trailers into rolling works of art for festival parades.
"[Serco] have shown that they are not just an organisation, they are our community," said Tilly Sparrow, 2023 Jacaranda Princess. "They have shown nothing but support and encouragement a way that is safe and reassuring. We really couldn’t do it without the whole team at Serco."
All volunteers out of Clarence wore the same Serco spin on the festival uniform, a Serco/Purple Army shirt designed by a First Nations inmate and manufactured by a firm who make a point of employing ex-offenders.
"[The] inmates worked tirelessly," said the event organisers, "big grins on their faces while working so hard. Their integration with [the] community has had such a positive impact."
The festival organisers estimated that they received $100,000 in 'in kind' sponsorship, of which the Serco contribution was estimated to represent more than a third.
"At times like these," says Bree Hiatt, "manpower is often worth far more than money. All in all, we clocked up more than 1,300 hours as Purple Army volunteers. It was a huge relief for the Festival Committee and a joyous time for us all. What made it really special was the total trust they put in every volunteer out of Clarence."
"It feels good using our strengths for something helpful and positive to give back to the community," said one inmate.
Another commented: "I was extremely proud of myself, and I thank Serco for giving me the opportunity."
"These projects are not only of great value to the Clarence Valley community but also to the inmates as they transition out of custody," said Cherie Goodwin. "The future of the Clarence Community Initiatives Program promises to be immensely rewarding for everyone involved."
