Driver Education: Core rehabilitation program
The Driver Education and Training Program is administered by the Education and Vocational Training Unit (EVTU) on behalf of the Department of Corrective Service. The Program is managed by the Driver Education and Training Coordinator.
The Program aims to:
Increase the prisoner’s chances of gaining employment
Reduce offending behaviour by providing the opportunity for prisoners to gain their driver’s licence
Develop responsible attitudes towards defensive driving and knowledge of road law
Improve driving skills and enable prisoners to leave prison able to drive safely and lawfully.
The Program
This is a voluntary program and is available to adult prisoners in custody who are within twelve (12) months of release, on parole, on work release and or attending a Community Justice Centre.
Where the prisoner is eligible (including not being disqualified by virtue of having their licence suspended or cancelled), the Department can prepare prisoners through appropriately qualified driving instructors for regulation driving tests to the standards defined by the Department of Transport’s Driver and Vehicle Services.
The adult prisoners at minimum security prison sites, who are of low risk to the community, can be released to undertake driving lessons. The Department funds eight (8) lessons but the prisoners are required to pay the fees. The Department can facilitate birth certificates for identification, licence status checks, road law knowledge, learner’s permits, licence renewals, hazard perception tests and on road driving instruction. Additionally the Department assists adult prisoners in custody with Fines Enforcement to commence time to pay with outstanding fines.
The Program is currently delivered at thirteen (13) prisons throughout the State.
The Driver Education and Training Coordinator assesses the driver’s licence status of identified prisoners through the Department of Transport.
The prisoner is notified of any suspensions, disqualifications including fine suspensions which would preclude them from accessing the program in order to obtain a driver’s licence. Those with fine suspensions are offered guidance on the time to pay arrangements with the Fines Enforcement Registry.
Once eligible, prisoners are identified and once are cleared of sanctions, the Education Centre at each prison may provide a driver education learning service to meet the needs of the local prisoner population, and these include:
Providing practice questions and answers for the learners permit applications
Helping prisoners participate in the Practice Hazard Perception Test
Assisting with road law knowledge and the legal requirements for driving
Providing learning resources for prisoners with literacy and numeracy barriers:
Two EVTU specifically developed units of study under the Certificate of Entry to General Education (CGEA) titled, Preparing for the learner’s permit test and Extraordinary Drivers Licence.
The EVTU (Eastern Goldfield Regional Prison) prisoner and staff developed a Slow Motion Animation film, ‘Deadly Driving’ (attached)
The pre driver program, ‘Keys for Life’ an initiative of the School Drug and Driver Awareness (SDERA) Program
Eligible prisoners are then assisted to make licence applications or to renew licences if required with the designated Prison Licensing Officer.
Once the prisoner has obtained their learner’s permit, the driving tuition is conducted by an authorised driver-training provider.
The Department’s EVTU funds the driving lessons provided by an authorised driver-training providers.
Those prisoners who are not eligible to undertake driving lessons at secure prison locations are able to access the EVTU service in the community once released.
Indigenous and Female Prisoners
Indigenous prisoners make up close to 40% of the total prison population. Additionally, there has been a notable increase in female prisoners imprisoned. Females now number over 640 prisoners or approximately 10% of the total prison population. Of the total female population, Indigenous women represent about 46%.
Driving without a valid licence has long been identified as a key pathway into the criminal justice system for Aboriginal people.
The Aboriginal Justice Program of the Department of Attorney General was allocated Royalties for Regions funding to hire not-for–profit organisations to deliver driver education and training services to Indigenous prisoners at various regional locations. This Program has not been offered to Indigenous prisoners in metropolitan Perth though they make up the majority of Indigenous prisoners in the State’s prisons.
Current challenges and limitations
The largest challenge is currently trying to meet the increasing demand of the growing prisoner population for rehabilitation and reintegration services, including Driver Education.
Currently, prisoners are required to pay their own licence application fees whilst the EVTU Driver Education Program pays for up to 8 hours of driving tuition.
For some prisoners the cost can prove restrictive. More clients would conceivably apply for a WA Driver’s License if they could be assisted with their licence fees.
For prisoners who have never held a WA Driver’s License, the 50 hours required of logbook driving poses a challenge. As previously mentioned, the Program provides the initial 8 hours of driver training but the remaining hours are the responsibility of the prisoner.
As prisoners are paid on a gratuity system while incarcerated, and generally earn enough per week to pay for their immediate personal needs, most prisoners find it difficult to financially pay the money required to complete the mandatory log book requirement of 50 hours.
A longstanding issue for many prisoners who have Permanent Driving Disqualifications issued by the court makes it difficult for those prisoners wanting to make a fresh start with their licence, as the legal process to have a life disqualification removed is costly and complicated.
2016 Driver’s Education Statistics (To date 2016)
Applied for Assistance 1423
Life suspension 99
Not Eligible 309
Eligible 738
Never Held Licence 32
Obtained Learner’s Permit 101
Obtained MDL 122