A new partnership is spreading an anti violence message in Northern Territory prisons.
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Northern Territory Correctional Services and CatholicCare NT launched the No More campaign today, aimed at reducing family and domestic violence in Katherine.
Correctional Services commissioner Mark Payne urged attendees to “join in, stand up and say ‘No More’ and understand what that means.”
”We are not only spreading the message of the No More campaign, but we are taking it a step further with our strategies and relationships,” he said.
“The prisoners can leave changed people, they can go back to their communities and be better people.
“We have to give them guidance and pathways, to show them there are ways you can change and be different.”
On April 30, 2016, 74 per cent of male and 67 per cent of female sentenced prisoners had one or more convictions for domestic violence related offences during their custodial history.
A spokesman from the Attorney-General and Justice department said the message “will be embedded into the programs and activities provided to the prisoners and supervised offenders aiming at reducing recidivism rates relating to family and domestic violence and affecting so many people”.
CatholicCare regional manager Tabitha Rossi said the No More message is being taken across the Territory.
“It is about consistent messaging, people from all walks of life are able to understand it, it is simple and puts the responsibility onto the people committing violent acts,” Ms Rossi said.
“The uniqueness of the No More campaign is it came from, and is truly driven by Aboriginal people.
“Rather than us putting ideas in people’s heads, we were able to support their idea.”
Ms Rossi said it was “no secret that the Territory’s domestic and family violence rates are among the highest in Australia” and is “amplified in the Katherine Region”.
“The key theme of the campaign is placing responsibility of reducing family violence on men,” Ms Rossi said.
“While men have the power to be destructive, they have an equal power to care and look after their families.
“The reduction of family violence needs men to stand up, as both individuals and as a group, so they can take ownership for finding a solution to end the cycle of family violence.”