GROWING numbers of Vietnamese women are ending up in prison for crimes to pay off gambling debts, according to Australian Vietnamese Women's Association chief executive Cam Nguyen.
As of last week, there were 45 Vietnamese women in Victorian prisons, according to Department of Justice figures obtained by Ms Nguyen.
Corrections Victoria data for 2008-09 reveals female prisoners born in Vietnam represented 13.8per cent - 39 out of 282 total prisoners - of the women prisoner population on June 30 last year. Yet Vietnamese women prisoners represent a massive 87per cent of all women prisoners born in non-English-speaking countries. Figures for 2009-10 are not yet available.
The AVWA often visited prisons through its prison support network role and found numbers had grown in the past decade. Most charges were related to supplying or carrying drugs and possession of stolen goods.
"When you scratch below the surface they often say that they had to do these things to get money to pay off gambling debts to loan sharks. The interest is so high there's no way they can pay it off," said Ms Nguyen, adding that the problem had become more prevalent in the past 10 years, since about the time Crown Casino opened.
She said women who spoke little English and had few social outlets. They felt at home at the casino pokies, where they felt they had an escape from their social isolation.
The AVWA - started by Ms Nguyen 27 years ago with offices now in Footscray and Richmond - offers recreation groups, but more help is needed to break the cycle of isolation.
"They don't have much recreation because sport doesn't play a big role in the Vietnamese community."
She said pokies at local gaming venues were less of a problem.
"They don't like pubs. The casino is an attractive place full of light and they feel welcome. When they are playing they don't know whether it's day or night. They may also be dealing with a relationship breakdown."
The Special Broadcasting Service has 14 hours of Vietnamese programming a week on its Melbourne network and seven hours on its national network.
A dedicated news program was dropped when Vietnamese community members complained about the source of its content.
Census data for 2006 showed 48per cent of Vietnamese women in Victoria declared they spoke little or no English. "It would need the federal government to make the learning of English an obligation of people receiving social benefits," Ms Nguyen said.
Although the 6000 or more Vietnam-born residents are still the largest overseas-born group in Maribyrnong, Ms Nguyen disputed the notion that Footscray was the Vietnamese "capital" of the west.
Brimbank has since taken over as families move farther out to find larger and more affordable housing.
But the largely hidden gambling and crime problem knows no boundaries.
"People keep quiet about it. If a young person is involved, the parents would never mention it to their friends and acquaintances."
Ms Nguyen said the association's support services were largely self-funded. She called on Maribyrnong and Brimbank councils to help fund family support workers.
Maribyrnong Council community well-being acting general manager Andrew Day said the council provided counselling and referral services.
Mr Day said a gambling problem was not always apparent and other signs such as inability to pay bills, increased stress, and domestic violence could point to gambling addiction. When gambling was identified as a cause, the individual and family were referred to local gamblers help services, which had bilingual staff.
The council was also trying to get more detailed research on the impact of pokie machines, he said.
Mr Day said the council had a long history of providing support to the AVWA through provision of aged-care services for older Vietnamese residents referred by AVWA.
"Council is always willing to assist the AVWA to enhance and expand their programs and services."
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