Delivering Better Outcomes for People in Custody Through Reform, Rehabilitation and Facilities
24 - 25 March 2026 | Marvel Stadium, Melbourne, Australia
Main Conference Day Two: Wednesday, 25th March 2026
Morning Session
8:30 am - 8:50 am
Registration and Morning Coffee
9:00 am - 9:10 am
Conference Day 2 Opening and Chair Remarks
Joseph Tonu -
Associate Director, Work Health Safety, Wellbeing & Security,
NSW Justice Health & Forensic Mental Health Network
Joseph Tonu
Associate Director, Work Health Safety, Wellbeing & SecurityNSW Justice Health & Forensic Mental Health Network
9:10 am - 9:40 am
Women in Correctional Leadership Leading Change and Reform in Corrections
Vanessa Hollis -
Project Director,
Queensland Corrective Services
Amanda Allen-Toland - Director, Aboriginal Health, Justice
- potlighting the leadership journeys of women shaping the future of corrections across policy, operations, and service delivery.
- Exploring how gender-informed leadership drives cultural change, staff wellbeing, and system reform.
- Sharing strategies for navigating complex environments, influencing decision-making, and mentoring the next generation.
9:40 am - 10:20 am
PANEL DISCUSSION | Health Equity Behind Bars: Embedding Preventative and Culturally Safe Care in Prison Health Systems
Jackie Ashmore -
Clinical Director - Adult Health Services, Justice Health,
Department of Justice and Community Safety, Victoria
Andrew Wiley - Director, SA Prison Health Service at Central Adelaide
Amanda Allen-Toland - Director, Aboriginal Health, Justice
• Addressing health disparities in prison populations through culturally safe and trauma-informed care models.
• Implementing preventative health strategies tailored to the unique needs of diverse incarcerated individuals.
• Showcasing collaborative initiatives that embed equity and respect into correctional health services and outcomes.
Jackie Ashmore
Clinical Director - Adult Health Services, Justice HealthDepartment of Justice and Community Safety, Victoria
10:20 am - 10:50 am
The Forensic Clinical Specialist Program: Supporting Mental Health Care in Correctional Settings
Cathy Cooper -
Coordinator, Forensic Clinical Specialist Program,
Eastern Health
• Dual-layer support system: Addressing the mental health needs of individuals in custody while simultaneously supporting the clinicians and teams who provide their care, rehabilitation, and reintegration services
• The Forensic Clinical Specialist Program: A statewide model delivering consultation, education, training, and capacity-building to Area Mental Health Services working with custodial populations
• Bridging systemic gaps: How specialist programs advocate for vulnerable populations, develop sustainable processes, and prevent burnout among professionals navigating the complex intersection of mental health and justice systems
10:50 am - 11:20 am
Rebuilding Youth Justice Through Therapeutic, Trauma-Informed Models of Care
Anthony M Jamieson -
PhD Candidate & Manager Youth Justice Training, Queensland,
Griffith University & Department of Children Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs
• Unpacking the impact of trauma on justice-involved young people and the limitations of punitive approaches.
• Exploring therapeutic, culturally responsive care models that prioritise healing, development, and long-term wellbeing.
• Highlighting cross-agency collaboration and best-practice programs transforming youth justice outcomes across Australia.
Anthony M Jamieson
PhD Candidate & Manager Youth Justice Training, QueenslandGriffith University & Department of Children Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs
11:20 am - 11:50 am
Morning Break
11:50 am - 12:20 pm
Fireside Chat: Palliative Care in Prisons: Case Studies from Two Australian Jurisdictions.
Jane Phillips -
Professor Palliative Care and Head School of Nursing,
QUT School of Nursing
Andrew Wiley - Director, SA Prison Health Service at Central Adelaide
Jackie Ashmore - Clinical Director - Adult Health Services, Justice Health, Department of Justice and Community Safety, Victoria
Jackie Ashmore
Clinical Director - Adult Health Services, Justice HealthDepartment of Justice and Community Safety, Victoria
12:20 pm - 12:50 pm
Co-designing a National Framework for the provision of Palliative Care in Australian Prisons
Jane Phillips -
Professor Palliative Care and Head School of Nursing,
QUT School of Nursing
• Challenge: Delivering palliative care in Australian prisons is complex due to intersecting health, justice, and human rights issues, and the growing number of older prisoners with chronic illnesses.
• Approach: A six-year national co-design project engaged correctional staff, health providers, policymakers, First Nations representatives, and people with lived experience to create an equitable, culturally safe palliative care framework.
• Outcome: The resulting National Framework emphasizes trauma-informed and culturally responsive care, continuity of services, and compassionate release, aiming to make palliative care a core part of prison health across Australia
Afternoon Sessions
12:50 pm - 1:50 pm
Lunch Break
1:50 pm - 2:20 pm
Co-Designing the Future of Digital Through-Care: Critical Infrastructure to Reduce Recidivism
Georgia Falzon -
Director of Operations and Digital Transformation,
Raphael Rowe Foundation
Joe Kwon - Co-Founder & Executive Director,, CON|X
• AI and technology are reshaping Australian corrections, with tools spanning risk assessment, behaviour monitoring, and case management now influencing frontline operations.
• Rehabilitation is evolving through an evidence-based lens, with technology playing a direct role in connecting people to education, skills training, and support services at scale.
• Realising the benefits of innovation requires honest attention to the cultural and workforce shifts needed to make new tools stick on the ground.
2:20 pm - 2:50 pm
Dignity Is Operational: How Lived Experience Becomes System Design.
Luke Anderson -
Founder,
Fair Collective
The session will explore how lived experience, when used as design intelligence rather than advocacy alone, can inform practical, operational solutions within custodial systems. Luke will draw on the early development of Fair Threads, their collaboration with Corrections Victoria, and how structured, compliant models can reduce frontline pressure while preserving dignity for people in custody and their families.
2:50 pm - 3:30 pm
From Lived Experience to Leadership: Designing Employment Pathways That Break the Cycle
Pattie Phillips -
Lived Experience Co-ordinator,
Prison Network
Amelia Pickering - Chief Executive Officer, Prison Network
• Exploring how involving people with justice system backgrounds in program design leads to more effective employment pathways.
• Creating tailored, sustainable job opportunities that address barriers faced by justice-involved individuals.
• Demonstrating how meaningful work and leadership roles contribute to long-term rehabilitation and community integration.
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Reimagining Court Environments Through Lived Experience
Dr Marietta Martinovic -
Associate Professor of Criminology and Justice Studies,
RMIT University
Kiki Gill - Justice Practitioner, Beyond the Stone Walls Advisory
Di Missen - Manager, Service Development and Stakeholder, Court Services Victoria, Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal
• Exploring how involving people with justice system backgrounds in program design leads to more effective employment pathways.
• Creating tailored, sustainable job opportunities that address barriers faced by justice-involved individuals.
• Demonstrating how meaningful work and leadership roles contribute to long-term rehabilitation and community integration.
Dr Marietta Martinovic
Associate Professor of Criminology and Justice StudiesRMIT University
Di Missen
Manager, Service Development and StakeholderCourt Services Victoria, Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal
