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

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ISSUE NO. 26
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Sections
September 2026
Donate Here
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Poetry

‘They Know the Person, Not the Crime’: A First-Timer’s Poem on Family

By

Martin

Martin writes from a prison in VIC.

Willy Pleasance

I am starting my fourth week in the prison system and already in my third prison. This is my first time inside and I must say, stumbling across About Time has made things so much better. The open, honest, raw and relatable articles are real gems and resonate hugely.

‍

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

‍

About Time

There is a great paper ‘About Time’,

Which is free and won’t cost you a dime,

With articles galore,

It is never a bore,

And provides a refreshing angle on crime!

‍

Gotta Get Through This

First time in jail, and last time I swear,

Prison and bail, a total nightmare.

Missing family, my freedom and work,

I made one mistake, now feel like a jerk.

But I am lucky, now let me explain,

Loved ones stand by me, that helps keep me sane.

They know the person, not based on a crime,

But years together, and love over time.

So I can smile, with them as my light,

And all the while, I have them in sight.

Just that one reason, can get me through this

Season to season, it is them I miss.

This
piece
was originally printed in the
September 2026
edition of About Time.
By About Time

Clearly you only have to nominate ‘time travel’ as the subject of a writing competition to get people thinking.

ISSUE NO. 27
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2 MIN READ
By Marley

Time, for me, was at first just “the clock on the wall” at high school. When is lunch? When will this test finish? And when is home time?

ISSUE NO. 27
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1 MIN READ
By Jaivien

Have you ever found yourself at the bottom of a well?

ISSUE NO. 27
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The decay of an atom indicates that time itself has passed, it is the origin of our concept of time.

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3 MIN READ
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