\n“If I didn’t have Victoria, I would be the person in the middle of the road speaking to myself,” she said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/aside>\n
Temel, who does not want her surname used because of a history of family violence, has been meeting with volunteer mentor Victoria Leach about once a week.<\/p>\n
It all began after Temel appeared in court, charged with a family violence offence after years of being in abusive relationships.<\/p>\n
“My whole life was just crazy, to be honest,” she said.<\/p>\n
She was referred to the Women and Mentoring (WAM) program, which pairs women facing the criminal justice system with a volunteer mentor.<\/p>\n
But the program is in danger of closing, with no guarantee of funding beyond next month.<\/p>\n
Program keeps women out of prison<\/h2>\n The Women and Mentoring program has been running since 2009, with mostly philanthropic support.<\/p>\n
Its chief executive, Tricia Ciampa, said it was an early intervention program, pairing women who came into contact with the justice system with a volunteer mentor.<\/p>\n
There are about 45 women enrolled a year, often with complex situations involving family violence, substance misuse, mental illness and trauma.<\/p>\n
“We use mentoring to help women engage with services, create some goals, and really it’s about trying to keep women out of the justice system,” she said.<\/p>\n
To that end, she said it worked.<\/p>\n
“Only 13 per cent\u00a0of women have\u00a0re-engaged with the justice system,” she said.\u00a0“There’s currently a 43-44 per cent\u00a0recidivism rate in Victoria.”<\/p>\n
Bid for state budget funding<\/h2>\n Ms Ciampa said the organisation had\u00a0sought $750,000 a year over the next three years in the\u00a0Victorian budget.<\/p>\n
Without the funding, the organisation will have to wind up in the middle of the year.<\/p>\n
“We’re looking down that barrel, basically, of staff looking for other work,” she said.<\/p>\n
She said the funding would represent\u00a0good value for the government.<\/p>\n
“We know it costs about $120,000 to keep a woman in prison for a year,” she said.<\/p>\n
“It costs us about $7,500 to keep her out of prison in terms of mentoring and helping her engage in the community.”<\/p>\n
A ‘beneficial relationship’ for mentors<\/h2>\n Ms Leach signed up as a volunteer mentor because she has an interest in helping women in the justice system.<\/p>\n
“I feel like it’s such a stigmatised, taboo topic,” she said.<\/p>\n
The psychology masters student said she enjoyed\u00a0catching up with Temel.<\/p>\n
“We call it a friendship with boundaries,” she said.<\/p>\n
“Generally we just get some donuts and a coffee and see what’s going on for her, if there’s anything I can help her with,” she said.<\/p>\n
Ms Leach might help Temel with things like researching activities to do with her children, or help accessing legal support.<\/p>\n
She said Temel’s story was very empowering.<\/p>\n
“She’s gone through so much that I don’t think most of us could imagine going through,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n“She’s taught me a lot.\u00a0It’s a beneficial relationship for both of us because she’s such a strong person and I\u00a0find that I\u00a0learn a lot from her.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/aside>\n
Ms Ciampa said mentoring was important because it was about modelling good relationships.<\/p>\n
“It’s about building a relationship with someone who perhaps hasn’t got that, they haven’t got that role modelling, they haven’t got someone they can talk to in\u00a0their life, they can confide in,”\u00a0she said.<\/p>\n
“It’s someone who can walk the journey with them as well, and that’s what’s really important.<\/p>\n
“It’s that connection to your community.”<\/p>\n
It is a sentiment Temel echoes.<\/p>\n
“The only way I feel I can vent and talk is with Victoria,” she said.<\/p>\n
“I have no-one, I don’t have anyone.\u00a0Especially with my disability, I am isolated.”<\/p>\n
Government supporting other programs<\/h2>\n In a statement, a spokesperson for the Victorian government said it had provided nearly $800,000 to WAM since 2017.<\/p>\n
“Every woman should be given the best chance at a life outside of the justice system,” the spokesperson\u00a0said.<\/p>\n
“Which is why we’ve invested in different programs and organisations to deliver more support services for women who are in, or at risk of entering, the criminal justice system.”<\/p>\n
The 2022-23 Victorian budget is due to be handed down on May 21.<\/p>\n
Last year’s state budget included $19.9 million\u00a0for various crime-prevention measures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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