The Untold Stories of Injustice is a five-part radio series that features a collection of interviews, discussions and events highlighting the experiences of folks who have been incarcerated in so-called Victoria, Australia.  

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In a society that heavily discriminates against people  who have been criminalised, treating them as disposable and unworthy, we wanted to provide opportunities for formerly incarcerated people to be heard and listened  to with respect curiosity, empathy and understanding. Normally silenced and stigmatised, it was important to  give these voices an opportunity to express themselves  and have their say in a safe place.

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During the five episodes of Untold Stores of Injustice, you will hear the voices and experiences of the Formerly  Incarcerated Girls Justice Advocates Melbourne collective (FIGJAM), otherwise known as ‘Fuck I’m Good Just Ask Me’.  

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FIGJAM is a collective of around 20 folks who have  been incarcerated, surviving different forms of violence, particularly systemic state-sanctioned violence. We are a peer-support group, providing a sense of connection and  belonging to people who have lived and breathed similar experiences. Our experiences intersect with the criminal in-justice systems, institutions of all kinds, mental ill-health and wellbeing, alcohol and other drugs, homelessness,  oppression, trauma, survival, and strength. Experts of our own collective and lived experience, FIGJAM draws on these intersections to engage in research and policy reform, using our collective knowledge to review documents and practices both within universities and the social justice sector. We also give presentations across  different domains and issues, attend conferences, and  continually highlight the importance of the work of the collective.

Throughout the different episodes in the series, you will be taken on a trip down memory lane. You will listen to the experiences of FIGJAM members, their life journeys, the ways in which criminalisation has impacted them, and hear about what they have been up to post release. The series also explores the therapeutic benefits  that sharing their life experiences has had on them, their  family, friends and community.  

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You will also hear from allies and organisations in so-called Victoria, in other states and even some  from overseas. They discuss how lived experience  is embedded in their organisations, highlighting  the importance of having folks who are criminalised  in positions of leadership and governance. These organisations understand that when we speak of prisons  and unjust systems, folks who have experienced the harm  and abuse of these systems must underpin and create the  foundations for the work to take place. Nothing about us without us.