“It’s good to know each other, to be Kungas” final report: An evaluation report for the Kunga Stopping Violence Program - January 2021

Description

This is an evaluation report produced on behalf of the Kunga Stopping Violence Program (KSVP), a throughcare program supporting Aboriginal women who have been incarcerated in the Alice Springs Correctional Centre for an alleged violent offence. It replaces an earlier interim report, published August 2020.

The evaluation employed a mix of traditional ethnographic methods and an experimental media-production-as-evaluation method. It is based on data gathered through a media production workshop with formerly-incarcerated KSVP clients (in December 2020), interviews conducted with KSVP clients, staff, and stakeholders/service providers whose work intersects with the Kunga Stopping Violence Program (in November 2020 and February 2020), participatory observation and analysis of non-confidential documents and published reports. The findings also draw on data from radio packages produced with Kunga women incarcerated in the Alice Springs Correctional Centre in 2018.

The data analysis revealed eight key themes:

• KSVP’s staff are a significant strength to the program
• Staff are valued more for their localism than their professional qualifications
• KSVP emphasises a flexible client-focused and compassionate approach
• KSVP provides effective trauma-informed training inside prison
• Systems are in place to support staff mental health and wellbeing
• Staff employ a range of effective techniques to communicate with clients
• The low-profile of the organisation works to its benefit
• While not an ideal situation, KSVP has the resilience to continue its services remotely during times of crisis (Covid-19 response).

There is significant evidence to demonstrate that the Kunga Stopping Violence Program is well-regarded in the Mparntwe/Alice Springs community, and provides invaluable support to the women and families it works alongside. The evaluation also identified future directions the Kunga Stopping Violence Program could pursue, if additional resources were made available to the organisation.

Regions in scope

Alice Springs, Northern Territory

Funding entity

North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency

Research/evaluation entity

Griffith University

Status

Completed

End date

2021

Released to public

Yes

Report available

“It’s good to know each other, to be Kungas” An evaluation report for the Kunga Stopping Violence Program

Categories

Social and emotional wellbeing