Dennis Vanscoven and Holly Chisholm represented the community group, Shine for Kids, providing support for the families of prisoners throughout Australia. We learned that there are sixty thousand children in that situation, and 20% of them, statistically, will end up in prison themselves. Among prison populations, there is a 70% recidivism rate - the extra 20% involving children is the target of Shine's activity.
Among the costs that Dennis quoted are the Capital cost of housing prisoners NSW, $1.5 billion per year, and $8 billion spent on indigenous housing. The annual budget of Shine, nationally is just $3 million.
Shine has been going for 30 years, and had a presence in Junee for 8 years. Holly runs the local operation, with volunteers.
One of the activities that is providing positive results is "colourful dreaming" where kids visit their father, and they paint together.
Dennis is a member of the Rotary club of Kenthurst, dressed in a smart jacket, spoke confidently and looked every bit the successful "business or professional Man." A few at our meeting would have been surprised when he told us that his father had been in goal, but that added some authority to his work within Shine.