Welcome to About Time

About Time is the national newspaper for Australian prisons and detention facilities

Your browser window currently does not have enough height, or is zoomed in too far to view our website content correctly. Once the window reaches the minimum required height or zoom percentage, the content will display automatically.

Alternatively, you can learn more via the links below.

Donations via GiveNow

Email

Instagram

LinkedIn

Donate Here

Poetry

Mind Incarceration

By

Red Dragon

Red Dragon writes from Wolston Correctional Centre in Queensland.

Dodji Djibom

There's demons in my mind,

I'm struggling to think.

Life's leaving me behind

As deeper, I sink.

This blackness in my brain,

Forcing me under its strain,

Endlessly I wonder,

Can I get out from under?

I'm doing hard time in my mind

My mind's jail, it has no bail.

Mino's prison has only,

Eternal incarceration.

Running with thugs, using drugs

Slowly destroying my life

Getting into trouble and strife

No good, I need to change my life.

Of course, it doesn't work out

Ran its course, got caught out

Now the prison is also real

Full of just concrete and steel.

In this concrete incarceration

New brothers from different mothers

All with similar struggles in life

With end dates from this situation

No release from my situation

Mino incarceration

There's demons in my mind,

I'm struggling to think.

Life's leaving me behind

As deeper, I sink.

This blackness in my brain,

Forcing me under its strain,

Endlessly I wonder,

Can I get out from under?

I'm doing hard time in my mind

My mind's jail, it has no bail.

Mino's prison has only,

Eternal incarceration.

Running with thugs, using drugs

Slowly destroying my life

Getting into trouble and strife

No good, I need to change my life.

Of course, it doesn't work out

Ran its course, got caught out

Now the prison is also real

Full of just concrete and steel.

In this concrete incarceration

New brothers from different mothers

All with similar struggles in life

With end dates from this situation

No release from my situation

Mino incarceration

This
piece
was originally printed in the
May 2025
edition of About Time.
By Daniel

I wrote this song when I started my sentence in June 2026.

ISSUE NO. 26
3 MIN READ
By Leonor

Somebody’s Daughter Theatre offers women within the prison system in Victoria, the opportunity to participate in weekly art workshops.

ISSUE NO. 26
2 MIN READ
By Martin

I’m a rapper and I thought I’d share one of the songs I’ve written.

ISSUE NO. 26
3 MIN READ
By Martin

I felt compelled to contribute so here follows a few submissions for your consideration.

ISSUE NO. 26
1 MIN READ
Get All the Latest News From About Time in Your Inbox

Be the first to read each edition online and receive two newsletters each month filled with news stories, experiences, creativity and the voices of people in prison around the country.

X

X

You've successfully registered!
Something went wrong when we tried to register your details. Please try again.