2. Ability to recruit and retain staff with the necessary expertise and independence to work with women prisoners

Once again, this point goes to the heart of effective implementation of any mental health strategy. Unfortunately the information provided is insufficient; however, it is CAEFS' submission that a thorough exploration of this question should take place. Some of the issues raised are:

• What type of staff should be targeted for recruitment?
• What educational standards, professional qualifications, work and life experience, personal and professional values and ethics should they have?
• What level and mix of staffing would be the "ideal" for the various institutions and units?
• What, if any, are the barriers to recruitment of these staff?
• How can these barriers be addressed and removed?
• Does CSC offer comparable remuneration and working conditions to that offered in other types of mental health work?
• Does additional incentive need to be offered to attract skilled and experienced staff to this work?
• Why do some experienced and expert mental health professionals object to working in a prison environment? What are their concerns? (for example, not wanting to be involved in security duties) Can they be addressed?
• What are the reasons that exiting staff identify for leaving CSC employ? How can these concerns be addressed?
• Is it possible to open the requisite resources in the community, as opposed to within the prisons?

In our 1996 submission we proposed that a complementary strategy paper be developed on this topic. We submit that a study of this nature remains urgent and could be easily conducted, perhaps with the assistance of human resources specialists who could, for example, consult the various professional organizations that represent mental health professionals and conduct exit interviews for staff that resign or move out of coalface service provision.

An important part of this analysis would be a review of the involvement of non-corrections staff, from other Government Departments and community organizations. How can non-corrections organizations and personnel be utilised more effectively to deliver mental health services to federally sentenced women?