NDRI and Justice Health Group joint in-person seminar
Monday 01 December: 1-3pm AWST (**light lunch served from 1pm**)
**In person only**
Title:
Breaking the cycle: Supporting the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in prison and post-release - Joint NDRI-Justice Health Group seminar
Presenters:
- Dr Michael Doyle, Associate Professor – University of Sydney
- Dr Emma Tufuga, Research Associate – NDRI and Justice Health Group, Curtin University
Facilitator:
- Professor Bep Uink – Director, Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet
Discussant:
- Dr Shelley Walker, National Drug Research Institute Director - Curtin University
Registration:
To register, email your name, organisation and any dietary requirements to ndri@curtin.edu.au
Presentations:
Developing a culturally-based social and emotional wellbeing program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in prison - Associate Professor Michael Doyle
Background: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians make up around 35% of the prison population but only 3.8% of the general population. Around two-thirds of people in prison, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, have some form of substance use disorders and/or mental health issue. Existing prison programs rarely address these needs in culturally sensitive ways. This Indigenous-led presentation outlines the development of a new culturally-based social and emotional wellbeing program. Methods: Conducted a scoping review of global prison programs for Indigenous peoples, interviews with 27 Indigenous health professionals, and four focus groups. We are currently testing the draft curriculum with prison and community based drug and alcohol program staff. Results: We identified 78 Indigenous-specific prison programs globally. Health professionals emphasised stronger engagement when culture was central. Our draft curriculum includes 10 flexible lessons covering topics such as language groups and cultural pride. Each session can be delivered independently to increase access. Discussion/Conclusion: We have developed a culturally tailored wellbeing program for Indigenous Australians in prison and will trial it with inmates in the next 2–3 years. Success so far has been driven by Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders working together to reduce disparities.
Michael Doyle is an Bardi (Aboriginal) man and leads Indigenous health research in the Discipline of Addiction Medicine at the University of Sydney’s Edith Collins Centre. He has worked in Aboriginal health since 1998, beginning in service delivery before moving into research in 2008. His PhD, completed in 2018, was the first to focus on prison-based rehabilitation programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Michael is a mixed-methods researcher. He serves on national and community committees, including the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council’s Human Research Ethics Committee. His research develops culturally safe programs to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for Indigenous peoples in prison and in the community.
“It’s Not Just Her Sentence”: The Impact of Racism and Discrimination on the Social and Emotional Wellbeing of Aboriginal Families Post-Release - Dr Emma Tufuga
This presentation explores how racism and discrimination shape the social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) of Aboriginal families supporting women post-release from prison in Western Australia. Drawing on findings from a doctoral thesis centred on Aboriginal women’s lived experiences of accessing post-release supports in the Perth metropolitan area, the research highlights the compounding effects of systemic racism on families navigating fragmented and culturally unsafe service systems. Through yarning circles with Aboriginal women and their families, the study identifies persistent barriers, such as institutional racism in housing, healthcare, and child protection systems, and the emotional toll these have on kinship carers and extended family members. Family members described feeling judged, excluded, and unsupported while taking on critical caregiving and advocacy roles. Their stories expose the intergenerational and collective burden of discrimination and underscore the importance of cultural safety, community connection, and self-determination in supporting successful reintegration. The presentation will outline key themes from the research and offer culturally informed recommendations to improve post-release systems. It foregrounds the voices of Aboriginal families as essential to justice reform and affirms the central role of kinship and culture in healing and reintegration journeys.
Emma Tufuga is an Indigenous Samoan researcher with over two decades of experience in community health, justice, and preventive services across New Zealand and Australia. Based on Whadjuk Noongar Country, she is deeply committed to advancing the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities through culturally safe, community-led, and systems-focused approaches. Her doctoral research critically examined the post-release experiences of Aboriginal women in Western Australia, with a focus on service accessibility, systemic inequities, and holistic recovery pathways. In recognition of her contributions, she was awarded the 2023 Western Australian Crime Statistics Research Award. Dr Tufuga’s research spans justice health, mental health, Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) interventions, and offender reintegration, with an emphasis on cultural governance, participatory methodologies, and policy translation. She is passionate about leading and contributing to interdisciplinary, impact-driven initiatives that improve health and social outcomes for marginalised communities.
Registration:
To register, email your name, organisation and any dietary requirements to ndri@curtin.edu.au
Posted on: 30 Oct 2025
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