I have just returned from Dillwynia womens' prison at Windsor on the outskirts of Sydney. We have been partnering with the Department of Corrective Services for the last 3 years in providing advice, mentoring and support to the call centre within the prison.
The Dillwynia call centre has about 30 women inmates who are trained to make outbound calls, mainly related to data base cleansing and outbound promotions.
I have an arrangement with the Department of Corrective Services where by when girls are up for release we will interview them and see if we can find them employment in the wider contact centre industry. I have had four women who have come from Dillwynia work for me in my business. Their crimes have ranged from fraud to murder. I am about to interview another newly released girl on Friday.
I spent today with the girls who are still in prison coaching them on the skills they need in order to obtain employment on the outside. For many of these girls who have experienced extreme abuse and dysfunction in their young lives just the thought that someone on the outside will give them a chance at employment is monumental to them.
Most of these women are young, between 18 and 30 and most of them have children on the outside. The children are typically looked after by the grandmothers. Of the women in prison the recidivism rate (% who end up back in prison) is 42%. The two factors that reduce the women's propensity for going back to gaol are 1)accommodation and 2) employment.
The experience I have had so far with employing 4 ex-inmates has been excellent. Not once have any of the women caused me any reason to question their honestly, loyalty or commitment. They work extremely hard and go out of their way to express their appreciation.
For those of you in the contact centre industry who would be willing to give some of these girls a chance at living a normal, constructive life, and contributing to society by working responsibly please get in touch with me at cwallace@fifthquadrant.com.au
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