Volunteer

PLEA Project

Aim

The aim of the PLEA project is to provide court readiness education to people held on remand at the Metropolitan Remand Centre (MRC) and to women on remand as the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, Deer Park. This service is provided in order to foster a proactive approach to the handling of inmate’s legal cases, thereby empowering them with the skills and knowledge which will enable them to gain control in an environment where they may feel powerless. The PLEA project will achieve this by focusing on self-help through education. In that it is only through education that cultural, structural and psychological obstacles to participation in decision-making can be removed. PLEA is not governed by a reforming nor advocacy agenda. It aims to work cooperatively with MRC/DPFC staff and other criminal justice system stakeholders to transform inmates who are passive to active participants in the legal system.

Commitment

All PLEA volunteers will be expected to commit to a minimum of four hours per week for six months. While we will make every effort to minimise inconvenience to volunteers, all volunteers must attend monhtly prison visits and fortnightly meetings. Only apply if you can realistically fit this commitment into your schedule. In addition, volunteers will be expected to meet weekly with their section leader. Repeated cancellations by volunteers due to work commitments is not acceptable. Furthermore, there is no onsite volunteering nor specific day of volunteering, as all work is conducted by volunteers offsite, in their own time; so long as four hours per week is committed to PLEA tasks.

Project

PLEA is divided into three parts:

1. Court Readiness

Volunteers after adequate practice and training attend the MRC/DPFC once a month and conduct an in-depth Court Readiness seminar; as well as work in complimentary checklists/publications. The seminar last for approximately one hour and will focus on one topic, which may include bail hearings, pre-trial, committals, trials and pre-sentence/mitigation. This section will initially comprise mainly research tasks, to be followed by monthly oral presentations.

2. Parole Readiness

Volunteers will undertake exploratory research on Parole Readiness, conduct consultations at DPFC with inmates and CJS stakeholders with a view to evaluate the need, and formulate the structure of any future Parole Readiness Program. Volunteers will have the opportunity to create/tailor a program for use with sentenced inmates. This section will be research based coupled with consultations with the emphasis being on program development.

3. Library Skills

Volunteers will liaise closely with DPFC staff and Monash University Law Library with a view to assist in the creation of a library resource centre at DPFC. Students will obtain and collate publications/books, attend DPFC regulary to meet with inmates/staff as to library needs, as well as create a library skills seminar series wirth accompany publications. This section will be comprised mainly of consultations, resource gathering and program development.

Applications

Please download an information leaflet and application form, complete and submit via email to pleaproject@gmail.com if you are interested or mail to:

Prison Legal Education & Assistance Project
Monash-Oakleigh Legal Service
60 Beddoe Avenue
Clayton Vic 3168

Monash-Oakleigh Legal Service (MOLS)

MOLS is part of the law faculty and is a community legal centre (CLC) which provides free advice and assistance in a wide range of areas of law to members of the community. The Legal Service aims to help people who are unable to afford private legal assistance and representation or are unable to obtain access to the legal system because of language barriers or other disadvantages.

MOLS assists clients in a wide range of legal issues such as neighbourhood disputes, fines & infringements and motor vehicle accidents just to name a few.

As an Advice-Only program VOLUNTEER, you will have the opportunity to develop practical legal skills through:

• interviewing clients;
• providing advice under supervision;
• working with top legal practitioners; and
• working with other law students in completing legal research tasks and drafting documents.

MOLS Advice-Only Program has 2 intakes each year, typically in April and September. Volunteers are required to commit to volunteering for a six month period.

Enquiries can be addressed to the volunteer coordinator via email: mols-volunteer@monash.edu.

Please note that applications for the Advice-Only program typically open at the end of February and July and will be announced on this website and via the law student's bulletin. Applications are otherwise not accepted at other times.

Family Law Assistance Program (FLAP)

The Family Law Assistance Program (FLAP) is part of MOLS and shares the same premises at 60 Beddoe Avenue.

FLAP provides assistance to people involved in contested family law matters who are otherwise unable to access legal assistance. FLAP also runs a duty service at the Federal Magistrates Court in Dandenong and works in conjunction with the Chadstone Family Relationship Centre (Chadstone FRC) in various projects.

As a VOLUNTEER, you will have the opportunity to develop practical legal skills through:

• interviewing clients;
• providing advice under supervision;
• working with top legal practitioners; and
• working with other law students in completing legal research tasks and drafting documents.

We will also provide regular training sessions during your time with us.

Applications for FLAP are accepted throughout the year and volunteers are recruited on an as needs basis. You can download the waiting list/application form from this website. Please email your completed form to the volunteer coordinator (mols-volunteer@monash.edu) and we will contact you before the next recruitment.