Focus Area 7: Ongoing actions
Commitment 1: Improve the knowledge and understanding of autism across the criminal and youth justice systems.
Target
Provide Autism Awareness and Understanding training to correctional and custodial staff, including first responders, to ensure Autistic people are supported when in contact with justice systems.
Action
Continue updated delivery of the mandatory Autism: an interactive training module for Australian Police to all police officers and police security officers.
Lead: South Australia Police
Action
Work in partnership with the Office for Autism to identify opportunities to deliver targeted training to key areas within South Australian prisons, such as the High Dependency Unit.
Lead: Department for Correctional Services
Target
Improve the awareness of autism in justice settings to address misconceptions of Autistic qualities.
Action
Improve autism awareness, knowledge and information across the department through the provision of spotlights, intranet communications and specific activities.
Lead: Department for Correctional Services
Commitment 2: Ensure services and supports provided in community and custodial justice settings are responsive to the needs of Autistic people.
Target
Enhance supports for Autistic people within the community and custodial setting, including supports to ensure Autistic people are informed of processes.
Action
Consider providing translation and interpreting services to support Autistic court users, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, so they can better understand and engage in treatments and court proceedings
Lead: Courts Administration Authority
Target
Expand the provision of professionals within community and custodial justice settings who can provide autism diagnostic assessments and ongoing diagnostic supports.
Action
Continue to invest in the NDIS Team to assist Autistic prisoners with specialist diagnostic assessments to enable NDIS participation.
Lead: Department for Correctional Services
Action
Expand the use of autism screening tools to inform complex individual management plans.
Lead: Department for Correctional Services
Commitment 3: Create autism inclusive environments within criminal justice settings.
Target
Consider how the built environment, including sound and lighting, can be adjusted to support Autistic people in contact with the justice systems.
Action
Continue to explore ways to introduce sensory options in prisons on a case-by-case basis.
Lead: Department for Correctional Services
Target
Collaborate with stakeholders and lived experience groups to ensure criminal justice settings are autism inclusive.
Action
Continue to develop and implement individual behaviour support plans, where required, to better assess, inform and respond to the individual needs of people in community and custodial settings, regardless of formal autism diagnosis or not.
Lead: Department for Correctional Services