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
