Reformed armed robber and criminologist Arthur Bolkas has
described as “appalling” cuts in state government funding to the YMCA’s
Bridge Project.
The Footscray resident is a consultant to the project, which trains, mentors and helps young offenders find jobs.
The project will no longer receive $125,000 from the state purse.
“That is appalling and it shows such an incredible
shortsightedness on the part of people who make these decisions because
employment, of course, is such a critical part of anyone’s
rehabilitation,” Mr Bolkas said.
Mr Bolkas, 58, went to prison at 22 for a string of TAB robberies.
Hailing from a poor Greek migrant family, he was in the fourth
year of his arts/law degree and already a petty thief when he discovered
dope – and a way out of his depression.
“I started smoking, loved it, failed, lost my Austudy, didn’t know
what to do – decided to go and do a robbery,” Mr Bolkas said. “It
worked and I got away with it … it was easy and that was it. Three armed
robberies later I got caught, nearly got killed, nearly killed a police
officer, went in to a drug-rehab clinic, went to jail for 5½ years.”
Williamstown MP Wade Noonan, founding chairman of the Bridge
Project, said cuts to crime-prevention programs were among the causes of
increased crime.
“That project’s been running now for six or seven years and re-offending rates for
those that are supported through the project are less than 5 per cent,
whereas traditionally they’re about 60 per cent,” Mr Noonan said.
Western suburbs Liberal MP Andrew Elsbury said the government had
not cut $125,000 from the project but rather the funding was only
intended for a three-year period, which “came to a conclusion”.
“But we do have a number of other initiatives that are in place to work with young offenders,” he said.
