Is prison obsolete? Conference. Darling
Harbour, Sydney Australia
Mudgin-Gal is an Aboriginal Women’s
Corporation, the organisation is located at
233 Abercrombie Street, Chippendale, and
service area includes Sydney Metro including
the’ Block’ that is the area of land owned by
the Aboriginal Housing Company an takes in
Holden Street, Louse Street and Vine Street
Chippendale/Redfern; we also service
clients from the inner-city including
Waterloo, Marrickville and La Perouse.
Funded by State & Federal Governments
Redfern Foundation , Mans Investments.
 Founded
nearly 20 years ago.
 Mudgin-Gal’s
base comes from one of the
largest expanded LGA’s in Australia According
to the Australian Bureau of Statistic there” The
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission
(ATSIC) regions with the largest number of
Indigenous people were Sydney (43,100 or 9%),
this meaning that 9% of the national figure of
Australian Indigenous people are residing the
Sydney region. Aboriginal women make up the
largest number of people within this figure.
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Significantly, large volumes of people access the Redfern/Waterloo area
due to location and cluster of major and significant Aboriginal services
available within the area. It is here that Mudgin-gal has developed a
reach that spans across the length and breadth of NSW, as well as
interstate. The location of this organisation has placed Mudgin-Gal in a
position where it has developed strong ties with and into many of the
Aboriginal communities across NSW, and this is reflected by the work we
are able to do with these communities in delivering anti-violence
education. In particular we have worked with many communities some
include – Windsor, Maclean, Dubbo, Moree, Tingha, Huskisson, Macksville,
Broken Hill, Menindee, Warren, Lismore and Wilcannia to date.
[Source: ABS 3218.0 - Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2006-07,
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Source: Population Characteristics, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Australians, 2001 (ABS cat. no. 4713.0) and Experimental Estimates and
Projections of Indigenous Australians, 1991-2009 (cat. no. 3238.0)]
 Mudgin-Gal
targets & services Aboriginal & Torres
Strait Islander Women. This includes providing the
following:
 Mudgin-Gal's Service:
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Daily drop-in centre
Advocacy and liaison
Laundry, bathroom and rest facilities
Clothing pool
Referral to Safe accommodation for women and children
Court support
Grief and loss counselling
Living SAFE Loving, Blackout Violence Program
Domestic Violence court assistance and referral
In NSW Aboriginal women are over represented
and make up the largest group type in the prison
population.
 Evidence suggest that a larger proportion of
Aboriginal women incarcerated have been
affected by physical, domestic and sexual abuse.
 Mudgin-Gal is not directly funded for women and
prison programs, however, we work closely with
women who have been affected by prison, as
employees, program participants, mentors and
active members of our organisation’s member
base.
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 If
this is the question, than the answer from
myself and my organisation is a resounding
“NO”!.
 Our own organisation has shown this with
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Healthy Family Circle
Black Out Violence
Living Safe Loving
 Our
role in working with post-release.
Daughter , Sister, Partner, Friend
Football player, great aunty to many
nieces & nephews
Survivor of childhood sexual abuse/.
Imprisoned for violent crime… thriving in
the journey and pursuit of a healthy &
happy lifestyle
Mother ,sister, aunt ,daughter & her most
treasured role grand daughter to her late Nan .
 Addiction, abusive childhood…Imprisoned on a
16yr. revolving door cycle , children taken out
her care, released 2003
 2005..Getting a break working at BP Petrol
station Winning State Employee of the Yr. &
acknowledged also as National Health & Safety
Employee…
 Today Belinda a Community Support Worker ,
working towards getting her 2 of her 5 kids back
into her care with there siblings…
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useful web links are:
http://www.redfernfoundation.org.au/mudginga
l.html
http://www.virtualsisters.org.au/mg.htm