Can the Minister inform the House what is being done to address the health issues of female inmates?
The Hon. JOHN HATZISTERGOS: The honourable member is concerned about this issue and is interested in learning about the Government’s commitment to develop appropriate facilities to assist female inmates. Women comprise 7 per cent of the total inmate population in New South Wales. There has been a considerable increase in the number of women who have come into custody since we have been in government. A high percentage of those inmates are likely to come from backgrounds of poverty, neglect and abuse and some have a history of emotional problems and mental illness linked with drug and alcohol abuse. Of the total female inmate population, some 78.6 per cent are diagnosed with some form of psychiatric disorder and 57.4 per cent have a substance abuse disorder, according to the most recent census, which also has revealed that 42 per cent experienced physical violence as a child; 34 per cent experienced sexual violence as a child; 52 per cent experienced emotional violence as a child; and 6
