One night in Casuarina to raise awareness

The head of the Department of Justice is going to jail.

But only for one night and it’s for a good cause.

Department director general Adam Tomison will spend a night behind bars at Casuarina Prison to support the annual Vinnies CEO Sleepout.

Dr Tomison will serve the self-imposed sentence at the maximum security prison, while other chief executives gather at Optus Stadium on June 24 to raise awareness for homelessness.

He said he wanted to support homeless people in an alternative way by drawing attention to some of the at-risk people in the care of the department.

“Many homeless people are escaping violence (and many) are affected by a range of issues, including substance abuse and mental health concerns,” he said.

“Among those sleeping rough, some will come into contact with the criminal justice system, and some will end up before the courts and then potentially be incarcerated.

“The Mallee Unit where I’ll be staying at Casuarina runs a unique program that assists prisoners to break the cycle of substance abuse and addiction that so often leads to offending behaviour, then re-offending and sometimes homelessness.”

Last year the Sleepout raised $5.7 million. To support Dr Tomison’s Sleepout visit his page on www.ceosleepout.org.au./s/12403/51615/e.