The provision of services under the NDIS for people with psychosocial disabilities related to a mental health condition Submission 128
Submission to the joint standing committee regarding the ndis and people with disabilities in prisons
The NDIS is not available in prison at the moment
This is a concern as people may be on remand after being refused bail by the police and courts and for legal services to often have to apply for a section 32 under the mental health act to divert the person with intellectual disabilities from the Criminal justice system to services in order to do this the magistrate needs a report from the service in order for the service to do a report support will need to visit the person in prison to prepare a report
Without the ndis being available support workers from the service may refuse to do the report if they are not going to be paid during the time the inmate with disabilities are in jail
In order for the person to be given an section 32 under the mental health act the service must be in place
Once the person is released they can apply for the ndis unlike sentence inmates where you know their release day but people on remand where you don’t know when they will be released as they are still going through the courts
The inmate may reqire accommodation and services on release once adhc stops funding services my concern is that services will not do a report to support a section 32 of the mental health act or 16 BQ commonwealth crimes Act to dismiss the charges and divert the person to services if they are not paid by the ndis or legal aid
This could lead to the court of not granting a section 32 of the mental health act as the magistrate may support is not in place and deal with the person at law exposing them to jail
I ask after adhc stops funding services in 2018 that alternative funding be made available for prisoners in jail
About myself
I have been in prison on and off when my support does not work that affect my mental health condition I have intellectual disabilities as well I have been picked on in jail and put in a dry cell my recent imprisonment was in February 2016 July 2016
James condren
10/4/2017