My name is Ruben. I am a 29-year-old inmate diagnosed with autism as well as other mental illnesses. I also have a long history of childhood trauma. These are things that I believe are overlooked by the system.
It is no secret that prisons are filled with people who have had hard lives: abusive households, drug addiction, homelessness. I agree that we should all be held accountable when it comes to our past actions, but what about the system? Is it being held accountable too?
It isn't surprising that Australia's recidivism rates aren't great. This country believes in punishment, not rehabilitation. There are countless studies that prove that isolation and lack of support leads to people committing crimes. And what is more isolating than prison? Why, then, do we see no changes or improvements to inmates' conditions?
If we look at countries with good recidivism rates, these are countries that understand that criminals aren't inherently evil – they are often systematically disadvantaged.
They implement programs that focus on them improving themselves and overcoming their struggles while under custody. We see nothing like that here. Calls are considered a luxury while being astronomically expensive.
I understand that these are complex issues that can't be fixed overnight, but that is no excuse to not strive to be better.
For as long as the Australian government sees gaol as a money issue and not a public safety and well-being issue, people will continue to suffer – innocent people too.
Kind regards, and thanks for your work,
Ruben
My name is Ruben. I am a 29-year-old inmate diagnosed with autism as well as other mental illnesses. I also have a long history of childhood trauma. These are things that I believe are overlooked by the system.
It is no secret that prisons are filled with people who have had hard lives: abusive households, drug addiction, homelessness. I agree that we should all be held accountable when it comes to our past actions, but what about the system? Is it being held accountable too?
It isn't surprising that Australia's recidivism rates aren't great. This country believes in punishment, not rehabilitation. There are countless studies that prove that isolation and lack of support leads to people committing crimes. And what is more isolating than prison? Why, then, do we see no changes or improvements to inmates' conditions?
If we look at countries with good recidivism rates, these are countries that understand that criminals aren't inherently evil – they are often systematically disadvantaged.
They implement programs that focus on them improving themselves and overcoming their struggles while under custody. We see nothing like that here. Calls are considered a luxury while being astronomically expensive.
I understand that these are complex issues that can't be fixed overnight, but that is no excuse to not strive to be better.
For as long as the Australian government sees gaol as a money issue and not a public safety and well-being issue, people will continue to suffer – innocent people too.
Kind regards, and thanks for your work,
Ruben
Your contributions are the centerpiece of the paper. If you would like to contribute to our Letters section, please send your letters to the below postal address:
Or via email:
On 1 November 2025, QCS introduced a new pricing model: 20 cents per minute for all calls, mobile or local. A call that once cost 30 cents for 15 minutes now costs $3 – a ten-times increase.
I have been incarcerated for 22 months of a four-year sentence in Queensland jails. This poem is about my own situation.
Reading other prisoner’s stories inspired me to keep my head up and keep going now four months in, thank you all who share your stories and words of wisdom.
I moved units about a month ago and we feed some stray cats here. One even let me pat her last night! It's been over a year since I've patted an animal, so you can imagine how excited I was!
Help keep the momentum going. All donations will be vital in providing an essential resource for people in prison and their loved ones.
All donations of $2 or more are tax deductible. If you would like to pay directly into our bank account to avoid the processing fee, please contact donate@abouttime.org.au. ABN 67 667 331 106.
Help us get About Time off the ground. All donations are tax deductible and will be vital in providing an essential resource for people in prison and their loved ones.
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.
Leave a Comment
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere. uis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.