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The Centre for Social Justice launched their newsletter socialJUSTICE at the launch of Anti-Poverty Week 2008. The theme of issue 1 is criminal justice and poverty. The next newsletter will focus on person centred practice and will be released in March 2009.  Please contact the Centre for a hard copy on 07 3025 2013 or email This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it   or subscribe to the e-version by clicking on the subscribe tab to the left.

To view the e-version click here or alternatively you can down load the pdf version (1.31 MB). 

‘Employment Screening Cards: Safety or Injustice in Human Services?’ is a report by UnitingCare Queensland Centre for Social Justice. It details areas of inherent discrimination and injustice within the criminal history and personal background checks legally required in order for people to be employed or even volunteer within Child Care, Disability and Aged Care. The report recommends a number of possible changes to improve the employment screening system and areas for further research. We welcome your interest.

For more information click here or contact the UnitingCare Centre for Social Justice at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .

Queensland Anti Poverty Week was launched by Mike Reynolds and held on Monday 13th October 12.30 pm - 2pm at the Parliamentay Annexe. To see photos from that launch please click here  or to view the Anti Poverty Week poverty on plates display click here to link to flickr.

A photography competition will be launched in Anti Poverty Week 2009. If you would like to get involved in the competition please visit the Welfare Rights Centre or http://sceneandunseen.com/, which will be updated with more information shortly.

UnitingCare Centre for Social Justice along with Mission Australia co-chaired Anti-Poverty Week 2008. Anti-Poverty Week was established in Australia as an expansion of the UN's annual International Anti-Poverty Day on October 17. The main aims of Anti-Poverty Week are to:

strengthen public understanding of the causes and consequences of poverty and hardship around the world and in Australia;

encourage research, discussion and action to address these problems, including action by individuals, communities, organisations and governments.

Everyone who is interested in helping to reduce poverty and hardship here or overseas is encouraged to organise their own activities during the Week or join in some being organised by other people. The activities can be large or small, and events at the local level are especially welcome. For more information please visit http://www.antipovertyweek.org.au/ to start thinking about Anti Poverty Week 2009.

The Queensland community is experiencing a housing crisis in terms of availability and
affordability. A Housing and Homelessness Forum was held on Friday 19th September to bring together interested and critical people to consider the Church’s place in this matter.The purposes of the Forum were:

- to explore the extent of the problems associated with housing and homelessness
- to hear about the current public policy context and government initiatives
- to hear about current responses by Church and non-profit housing providers
- to consider possible responses by the Uniting Church across the State.

Invitees: Synod Leadership Team, Presbytery Ministers, others identiffed by the Presbyteries, Andrew Johnson (Justice and International Mission Advocate), Greg Mackay (Director,UnitingCare Centre for Social Justice).

To view the papers from the Housing and Homelessness Forum please click here.

The Centre for Social Justice is initiating a public engagement campaign that was launched during Anti-Poverty Week 2007 and will continue throughout 2008.Tilly Igras (Facilitator) and Laura Moran (CSJ Associate) will join with an array of guest speakers from the Legal and Criminal Justice field, and people with lived experiences to engage with community to discuss the Queensland Criminal Justice System.

We are firstly looking to explore community attitudes to crime and secondly the effectiveness or otherwise of prison as a crime prevention strategy. People who have experienced prison and incarceration will look at what has been effective and what has worked against the goal of rehabilitation. The public engagement campaign will cover comparisons with international crime prevention strategies and include examples over the past 20 years in Australia. 

If you would like the Public Engagement team to come and talk to your community or service group, please contact Tilly on 07 3025 2013 or email This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it  (This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it).

To find out more, please see our fact and information sheets.

CAIR is a coalition of community-based youth, legal, educational and social justice organisations working together to abolish the inappropriate level of remand-in-custody of young people in Queensland. UnitingCare Centre for Social Justice, along with other community organisations including Youth Affairs Network Queensland, Catholic Education, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Legal Service and Youth Advocacy Centre worked together on the release of the Discussion Paper Rethinking Youth Remand and Enhancing Community Safety in March 2008.
 
74% of the young people in custody in Queensland Youth Detention Centres on 30 June 2006 were on remand; a dramatic upward trend over recent years.

Detaining unconvicted children or young people not charged with a serious violent offence, is unjust and in contravention of Queensland's human rights obligations. Most children on remand in Youth Detention Centres in Queensland are charged with minor, non-violent offences. Inappropriately detaining young people in custody increases their likelihood of future incarceration, and therefore diminishes the chance that they will become a productive citizen. There is clear evidence that diversionary options have deterrent and rehabilitative effects on most young people who come into contact with the criminal justice system. Yet, it would appear that young people are increasingly being incarcerated for less and less serious offences.

Ongoing discussions between CAIR and the Minister for Communities and Youth, Lindy Nelson-Carr MP, have commenced.

For a full copy of Rethinking Youth Remand and Enhancing Community Safety compiled by Suzi Quixley click here.