Prisoners Choose Respect

The adoption of the Choose Respect message by some staff and inmates at Bunbury Regional Prison is a healthy start to enhancing respect at the facility, according to prison Superintendent Kerri Bishop.

On Friday, 60 staff, volunteers and prisoners pledged to adopt the Choose Respect principles and make an effort to treat others with care and consideration — a first for any prison in WA.

Supt Bishop said she had introduced the campaign to the prison because it was a good match with the facility’s values.

“Respect and professionalism are vital to a well-functioning prison and to a prisoner’s success on the outside,” she said.

“I don’t care whether it’s a prison, it still needs values.”

She said it was an opportunity for prisoners to adopt values and take them back into the community to share with friends and family when they were released.

Bunbury Respect Incorporated chairman Peter Rigden said the adoption of Choose Respect by the prison was a boost for the Bunbury Choose Respect Management Team’s campaign to spread the message through all sectors of the community.

“Bunbury Regional Prison does have a role to play in reinforcing the value of respect — it is an important part of our community which should be included,” he said.

“We are under no illusion it will transform all prisoners but we cannot underestimate the impact of teaching and reinforcing the value of respect in their rehabilitation.”

Bunbury MLA John Castrilli, who spoke at the prison’s Choose Respect launch and has been instrumental in the spread of the initiative, applauded Supt Bishop for her focus on instilling respect in the prison system.

“It’s unique that Bunbury Regional Prison has embraced Choose Respect and I believe it will have a positive impact on staff morale and prisoner attitudes,” he said.

“For visitors to the prison, particularly children, it will be good to see the Choose Respect signage around and know it is truly a whole of community initiative.”

Choose Respect is a not-forprofit organisation which aims to engage schools, businesses and the community in a conscious effort to treat themselves and others with respect.