Creating connections that change lives

WOMEN and Mentoring, or WAM, offers a unique, early intervention support to women and non-binary people – all women – who are involved with the legal system, who may have been charged with a criminal offence or are identified as at risk of offending.

With the support of a trained volunteer mentor women are empowered to create positive change in their lives through the mentoring relationship which is built on the foundations of respect, belonging and social justice.

There are unique drivers that may lead to offending behaviour for women that are imposed by broader structures of inequality and disadvantage.

Women in contact with the legal system are disproportionately victims of violence, abuse, trauma, financial disadvantage, low education attainment and insecure housing; yet have dependent children with fewer opportunities to find work and meaningful connection in their community.

Other issues such as mental health and substance misuse are also common characteristics of women in the justice system.

It is often these same challenges that create barriers to engaging productively with the service system.

By focusing on these underlying issues and challenges, WAM supports women, and their children, to build a life away from the criminal justice system.

Women are supported to develop protective factors, learn and implement life skills and build their confidence to eliminate the cycle of re-offending, and instead improve their life outcomes.

WAM do this through the provision of a formal mentoring relationship with a trained female volunteer mentor.

Mentors are recruited from the local community and participate in screening and training to prepare for their role.

Mentors also benefit from understanding more about women’s pathways to the legal system, access ongoing training opportunities and receive support from WAM’s mentor coordinators.

WAM’s services complement existing social and legal support services.

The mentor builds a trust-based relationship with the woman to support her to navigate the legal and service system, while supporting her to deal with the underlying issues.

The mentoring relationship can last anywhere from six months to two years, depending on the needs of the participant and the availability of the mentor.

It is a one-on-one relationship in which the participant engages voluntarily.

Through the connection of the mentoring relationship women reported positive outcomes like feeling more confident and resourced to respond to their legal issues, becoming involved in community activities and no longer feeling socially isolated, building positive relationships with their children and other family members, feeling motivated to engage with other professional services, and  returning to work or further study.

The majority, 87 per cent, of women engaged with a mentor do not re-offend. This is compared to a State average rate of re-offending of 43 per cent.

Volunteering with WAM promotes a whole range of health benefits and WAM encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and women with all abilities.

To find out more about the volunteer recruitment process or the participant referral process, contact Emily Murphy, Ballarat Coordinator, on email [email protected] or visit womenandmentoring.org.au.