July 6th 2024.
In a peaceful and serene outdoor communal area at Dillwynia women's prison in Sydney's west, a startling discovery was made by authorities. The evidence of a pre-term miscarriage raised concerns and prompted an investigation to be launched on June 14th. However, despite efforts to locate the woman involved, she has yet to be found.
This incident has caused alarm among prisoner advocacy groups, who fear that women in custody are not receiving adequate healthcare. Gloria Larman, the chief executive of the Women's Justice Network, was left perplexed by the situation. She questioned how a woman could miscarry in prison without any support or assistance. "If all their systems are in place, how did she not get picked up?" she asked.
Debbie Kilroy, a lawyer and founder of Sisters Inside, has been working with women in and out of the prison system for over three decades. She shared that she was aware of multiple cases where women had miscarried, experienced stillbirth, or given birth to premature babies who later died in the hospital. However, there is little information on record about these incidents. Kilroy believes that the federal government needs to expand its National Deaths in Custody database to include miscarriages and stillbirths in order to accurately assess the healthcare being provided to women in custody.
One major obstacle in addressing this issue is that when a baby dies in prison, it is not classified as a death in custody. Kilroy explained, "technically they're not in custody - but they are." She further stated that the care for pregnant women in custody is an ongoing issue, but the lack of data makes it difficult to fully understand the extent of the problem.
Dillwynia Correctional Centre, where this incident took place, was also the subject of an unrelated inquiry in 2019 regarding sexual offenses committed by former corrections officer Wayne Astill. The inquiry resulted in 31 recommendations for improvements in procedural requirements and complaint-handling systems. Astill was later convicted and sentenced to 23 years in prison for aggravated sexual and indecent assault, but he is currently appealing his convictions.
According to a 2022 report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 164 women who were received into custody in 2021 were pregnant. The report also noted that women who become pregnant either before or during incarceration are more likely to have poorer birth outcomes, including low birth weight.
Larman and Kilroy both agree that the government should expand the national database to increase transparency, but they also believe that structural changes need to be made within the prison system. "What has happened after the Astill Inquiry?" Larman questioned. "They're talking about changes for women, but we can't really see much change." She also emphasized the power difference between prison officers and inmates and called for more support programs to build trust between the women and the officers.
A spokesperson for Corrective Services NSW stated that the woman who miscarried has yet to be identified, almost a month after the incident. They also reassured that all pregnant women in the center have been checked and are confirmed to be healthy and well. Additionally, medical assistance has been offered to all women at the center. The spokesperson also stated that Corrective Services NSW and Justice Health are working closely to identify the woman and ensure her safety and well-being.
A representative from the Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network has stated that they are providing increased support and medical assistance to the women at Dillwynia since the incident. They emphasized that the health and well-being of all women at the center is their top priority. Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network also offer a range of support services to women upon entry and during their time in custody.
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