Mothers Behind Bars: The Silent Epidemic

This event was held on Thursday 18 July 2019

Mothers Behind Bars: the Silent Epidemic

Mothers Behind Bars: The Silent Epidemic
Professor Elizabeth Sullivan

Almost 43,000 people are behind bars at any one time in Australia, with women making up about 8% of those in prison. Globally, women are the new growth industry for prisons, having increased in numbers by 70% in Australia over the last ten years. Systemic often intergenerational disadvantage and social, economic and health inequalities are associated with incarceration. Most women in prison are mothers; and incarceration has a profound impact on their children. In this lecture, Professor Sullivan explores, from a public health perspective, health inequality, incarceration and mothering for women in prison.

About the Speaker:

Elizabeth Sullivan is Professor of Public Health and Deputy Head of the Faculty of Health and Medicine at the University of Newcastle, research lead of Custodial Health within the NSW Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network and Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine. She is a highly experienced university executive leader, public health physician, and researcher who is internationally respected for her important contributions to maternal, reproductive and justice health.

Prof. Sullivan is a passionate research leader who is committed to health and gender equity and to improving the health and wellbeing of vulnerable women particularly those who have severe and rare conditions in pregnancy or who are in contact with the criminal justice system. She is a former Council member of the NHMRC Council (2015-2018) and has an impressive research track record of over $20 million in research and contract funding and authorship of over 200 peer review publications including Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and World Health Organisation (WHO) reports.

Register now for complimentary tickets via Eventbrite. Please note earlier lecture start time at 5:30pm

Contact