What is the Problem?
Prison compliant clothing requirements are strict, and finding the right items can be challenging for the family and friends of prisoners in Victorian correctional facilities; particularly those living in regional areas.
Requirements also vary from prison to prison which can be another source of difficulty for those dealing with a prison transfer.
While the information for clothing requirements are published online at the Corrections Victoria website and prison staff can provide information, there are still issues with the interpretation of these rules. For example; some prisoners have particular items dropped in one week and the next week another prisoner has the identical items rejected for various reasons. This then creates unnecessary pressure for staff processing these items and frustration for the families that have spent time sourcing them.
For prisoners
Organising personal items through family members is a slow process and can leave prisoners reliant on ill-fitting clothing. The situation is even harder for those who do not have someone on the outside who is prepared to spend time finding these items, pay for them and bring them to the prison. Prisoners can be wearing clothes that no longer fit, have worn out or have been worn so often they are unpleasant, even to those around them.
For those who are fortunate enough to have the resources to have new clothing dropped in, there are always stories of frustration that create unnecessary stress in an already stressful environment.
For those who do not have those resources, it can be a sore point to lack the ability to purchase new items of clothing and have the ability to take pride in their appearance in the same way some other prisoners can. Such a basic thing as having new underwear and clothing with a sense of ownership over these items can be a small part of what helps to change a prisoner’s outlook.
For Corrections Victoria
The current system allows members of the public to drop property directly to the prison, which is time consuming for correctional staff to process and can create an overly busy environment in the waiting area. There is also the risk of visitors attempting to hide contraband in the items.
Proposed Solution
Corrections Clothing Service is a web based clothing retail store that sources prison compliant clothing categorised to meet the requirements for each prison. The families of prisoners are able to see what can be purchased for the selected prison and purchase exactly what their incarcerated family member requires.
This system also removes the risk of unknown human handling so Corrections Victoria staff know that any property coming into the prison is from a secure avenue and all property received is easily traceable.
Fair Threads is also looking to create an ecosystem providing pathways for ex-inmates to get back into the workforce, using a mentorship system within the company to provide transitional employment which we believe will have a positive impact on ex-inmates, their families, and the community as a whole.
Contact us at contact@fairthreads.com.au