Every day we receive letters from people in prison. Many share the impact of About Time on their lives. Readers have told us that they feel as if they have a voice for the very first time. Some talk about how the paper has helped them connect to others and lessen isolation. Many talk about the educative benefit of the paper, while others praise the newfound hope and sense of self-worth they feel reading a publication just for them. Here are all of their words.
I read your paper the night previous, and a part of me that previously was dead or dying suddenly felt alive and connected to others with similar struggles and trauma … So I just want to say thanks for your newsletter/prison paper.
I have been in prison for over 13 years and I want to say that your newspaper is an amazing opportunity for all who have put the time in and it has been very well received throughout the Victorian Prison System.
Wow, I won the caption comp for December... I've never won anything and the whole jail is congratulating me. Our jail was never told about your newspaper – but in November 2024 it just showed up and all 120 girls love it. So please, please keep it up. ... Thank you for the write up on pen pal programs – I've been in jail for four and a half years and always watch a show called Love After Lockup based on the USA pen pal project ... Anyway guys, thank you for your newspaper. We eagerly await it every month here.
This is my first time 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.
Anyway, 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!
I am thankful for any and all social and creative outlets such as yourselves involved in the creation and distribution of your newspaper. They provide a link or window to another place, an opening for personal expression and a greater sense of community for those who choose to make use of the opportunities. Writing a book review for a peer newsletter that might only be read by a hundred or so inmates at one prison may not change the world, but having someone stop you in the yard to tell you that they were impressed with your writing is valuable and reinvigorating.
It was great to see prisoners being spoken of in a constructive and positive way, as I'm sure you're aware that isn't the norm in Australia. I look forward to hearing back from you and hopefully reading your newspaper.
Congratulations on the launch of About Time. I can only imagine how many obstacles you have navigated to successfully sail the product into Australia's prisons, and from where I sit it was very warmly received by the inmates, security and medical staff that I share time with. Well done, and thank you for delivering us something we didn't know we needed until we received it.
I love this newspaper and enjoy reading it from front to back and back to front. I really enjoy looking at the artworks. You published one of my artworks, DEEP OCEAN, so thank you. I am very proud of that artwork. I taught myself to do art as I was severely bullied and abused, mentally, and physically, growing up and until this very day and I find it is good escape for my mental health. It helps me copy with all the bullshit and bullying that goes on in this place, that I've called home for the past 9 years. I have a minimum of 6 years left to go and then hopefully I can leave this place behind me. I'm not sure where I will restart my life once I'm out, but I guess I still have time to sort that out lol. Well that's all I wanted to say so thank you and keep up the wonderful work.
I can't tell you how glad I was to see this paper come into my unit, a sign that times can and always will change the way we live, especially in prison.
This paper deserves all the support it can get. A way for prisoners to express their honest stories and gifts. A real way to heal and rehabilitate encouraging others to do the same.
I've been following your paper and I love it. I find it very cool and entertaining.
To About Time,
Thank you for your newspaper. I look forward to reading it each month. Its great! I enjoyed it from the first time I read it last year. Its made me feel connected, seen & heard. When I first went to jail I felt really alone and your newspaper helped me so much. Someone – well lots of someones – got how I felt. They understood. Thank you for that. I've written this poem while incarcerated. I really hope you will publish it for me.
Keep up the hard work – we need you guys.
About Time has been a lifeline - when I was inside, it gave me a sense of purpose and feelings of camaraderie. The stories were really powerful. I have a chronic illness and suffer from intense pain, and writing for About Time has given me something to focus on and prevents me from going to dark places. Without About Time I don't know where I would be.
My husband got his copy of the August edition today and was very delighted. Thank you for the work you and Rosie do. We need more people like you.
Thanks again for the great content in the March 2025 issue.
This paper is getting better with every edition. On behalf of prisoners everywhere, thank you.
Continue the great work – you make a real difference.
Since the very first edition was released in July 2024, About Time has been faithfully producing monthly editions. I know firsthand how widely it circulates: across prisons throughout the country, whether in printed form or through the iPads available to inmates. The response among prisoners, including myself, has been overwhelmingly positive. What makes About Time unique is that its content speaks directly to the lived experience of those of us on the inside. It offers practical information, but it is also deeply creative and artistic. The poems, stories, and artwork published give prisoners something that prison usually strips away-our voice. Here, identity is often reduced to our MIN number, our sense of personhood is eroded day by day. Yet when an inmate's words or artwork appear in About Time, that person is recognised again as fully human, capable of thought, creativity, and contribution. Equally important is the rehabilitative effect. Too often, boredom and frustration inside prison breed conflict, misconduct, and despair. About Time offers a powerful alternative: it channels energy into productive and meaningful work. Instead of wasting away or finding trouble, inmates can discover new skills, pursue creativity, and experience the pride of positive achievement. This not only improves mental health and prison culture in the short term, but also strengthens the likelihood of successful reintegration and reduces the risk of reoffending once inmates are released. Because of About Time, inmates are enabled to see the possibility of real change. There is no other service in Australia that reaches us in this way.
The paper continues to be enjoyed and promoted by me and others.
First of all I would like to say what an awesome magazine – keep up the good work.
I gave paper copies of AT out to inmates with tablets today, and got a round of applause for it. One guy said it’s the best thing anyone has done for them, so yes please, keep them coming. I will promote it internally. Inmates said it was like being reconnected with the world again.
Thank you for creating this communication tool that links isolated people at times of greatest need for belonging. I have followed it through the year and am not sure if it is available in the Northern Territory Correction Facilities, hope it will be.
I contribute to About Time so that others can relate to my experience in some way or there’s been something I’ve related to.
The articles and stories you read in 'About Time' and other outlets change lives. They have the power to help people to make informed choices. And they can also inspire readers to think in different ways and try different things. Being a writer is exciting and rewarding. So, this article is for all those people who have tinkered with the idea of penning a story. This publication, like all publications, is always on the lookout for fresh talent.
Love your newspaper, it provides a lot of people a bit of light :)
To the publishers of About Time newspaper,
Thanks to all the opportunities the paper brings to prisoners.
Thank you for giving us a good read every month.
Thank you also for a very interesting and informative paper. Especially that it gives this office a prisoner perspective also. Keep up the good work.
You DO make a difference!
Love your work!
Thank you to all who created 'About Time' and for making it work. I am a deaf prisoner who is quite isolated within isolation. I miss out on small talks such as what other prisoners are really feeling to bigger things such as how to make a complaint against case notes. Deaf Services has been trying to fight to bring tablets in for deaf prisoners in Queensland and it's good to see that the government is slowly introducing tablets into some prisons and that tablets may be possible for deaf prisoners in the future. The newspaper is like a light at the end of a tunnel. Thank you.
Thanks About Time! Thanks Rosie! Publishing my writing means so much to me and gives me hope I might use my writing to get me out of this life. Please write back with any advice or thoughts! Can't wait to see my writing in next month's edition!
About Time reminds me that I'm not alone in the prison. I'm human just like you. It allows community to exist outside of individual prisons. It gives varied opinions, even people who disagree with each other. It's refreshing. It gave me something to do that feels important. I have a voice.
Thank you and congratulations on the publication of the national prisoner's newspaper, "About Time".
Your initiative is offering many the "therapy" necessary to earn back self-respect and enabling them to choose to find a purpose for good, while they make their amends during their incarceration.
They say: "The pen is mightier than the sword". To see their contributions in print will be the first time for some that they have been "heard" and may enable them with respect to transform their lives - to honestly rehabilitate.
The paper is well-read and discussed. The smiles on faces knowing some of the contributors is encouraging.
Thank you once again for your amazing publication. I know I speak for myself and many of the other men here at Middleton Correction Centre when I say that your publication is valued and appreciated and we look forward to its arrival each month. It certainly becomes a central discussion point in the yard in the days following its distribution here. Both myself and the other men within my accommodation lodge read over every addition repeated. Thank you for your incredible work in continuing to support, connect, and inform incarcerated men and women across the country.
Amazing work!
Thanks for all your great work with this publication and with your excellent follow-up.
Hello Denham,
I offer congratulations for your June edition and your article about prison Dentists was very familiar. So much so that I thought I might compose a little history of my own dental nightmares.
Thanks again for your continued publication. Keep up the good work.
I can tell you that the papers are very popular and are often requested from prisoners, and I have received positive feedback.
We finally got our newspaper in Queensland and I was blown away. Really good job. It's good to read how other prisoners think and feel and awesome that we now have some sort of platform to reach out to the community with.
Some of the stories, songs, poems etc exactly reflect feelings or situations I and others at this prison experience. I love this publication. Thank you!
I've just listened to Joseph's podcast on ABC RN. What a relatable, informative and honest conversation!
Those articles, by other prisoners he doesn't know, somehow lessen the physical and mental isolation often experienced.
A big shout to all prisoners and the team of "Australia's National Prison Newspaper. Thank you for all the support.
Firstly, I would like to say how great it is to finally have a nationwide paper focused solely on prisoners and issues relating to prisoners as people, not just prisoners. I look forward to each edition and hope it is here to stay!
I like your paper. I look forward to it when it comes. They deliver it under my door. It's interesting to read what others have to say, and their experiences. I like the paintings some of the other prisoners do. They have a gift. It's sad how some people waste a talent like that by doing silly shit and wasting their life behind bars.
I really liked the Bits & Pieces section – more of that would be great.
Could you please include more two-person games or activities we can do in our cells when locked in?
Is there any possibility of starting a pen pal system, where people can write in and be connected with others?
I'd love to see articles on how to write better – anything to help us improve.
Thanks for the paper – it's something a lot of us look forward to.
Dear 'About Time' editors,
The poetry by Leslie at Ravenhall and Robert here at Wolston really stood out for me.
About Time has given me the opportunity to express myself in writing. This helps with my rehabilitation. Thank you for this opportunity.
Keep up the great work.
Firstly I wish to thank all of you that make it possible for your newspaper to to be circulated on a monthly basis, and allow inmates that are currently in custody to address issues that our judicial system chooses to ignore. So in a way your paper lets us have a voice in which I would like to say thank you.
Just want to thank you for all the effort you all put into getting a national prison newspaper to everyone inside. I've been to many locations in Vic and see many inmates enjoying the content so thank you for all the hard work (we appreciate you all).
What a beautiful space you've created!
Firstly, thank you for the newspaper, I look forward to every new issue! It's an amazing opportunity to read everyones thoughts, feelings and experiences, as well as educate ourselves around the system and available resources and it provides me with a strong sense of connection.
[The papers] appear to be very popular.
Thanks for your time and effort.
This newspaper is a fantastic idea and I am glad it comes here.
I have to say I am really digging the paper, it's a great read.
Kind regards, and thanks for your work.
We’ll continue to read About Time with interest – Denham Sadler’s recent article was excellent, so congratulations to you and the team on the work you’re doing.
I'll finish by saying I absolutely love the paper. Thanks to everyone involved.
G'day About Timers,
Got a kick out of seeing my last entry in the paper!
When I get out, I am going to use my skills as a songwriter/performer to start a business and entertain people. I will look forward to seeing future issues and reading about people's journeys through their hardship.
I will continue to read About Time and contribute, as I thoroughly enjoy reading people's stories and writing to others.
Thank you for reading and never stop smiling.
Again, congratulations to you and your staff for "About Time". I am so impressed.
I saw your paper for the first time about six months ago and I read it every month – I'm hooked! I get a lot of information and ideas out of them. I love your paper and can't wait for the next issue. Thanks heaps for taking the time to read my letter.
Thank you for your newspaper. I look forward to reading it each month. It’s great! I enjoyed it from the first time I read it last year. It’s made me feel connected, seen and heard. When I first went to jail I felt really alone and your newspaper helped me so much. Someone – well lots of someones – got how I felt. They understood. Thank you for that. I’ve written this poem while incarcerated. I really hope you will publish it for me. Keep up the hard work – we need you guys.
I'm a big fan of your magazine/newspaper and I look forward to it each month. I enjoy reading things written by other inmates like myself across the country.
Articles my cellie and I appreciated in Issue #5 (November 2024): H.E.A.L., Computer Access in Cells, Reintegration/Studying After Prison, How to Write Lifestyle Stories, How to Deal with Shame, Neck, shoulder and back relaxation, Book Club - although difficult to access multiple copies of book here, Creative, Mob/Future Dreaming, Play.
Dear About Time thanks for your tireless efforts in making a little brightness in an otherwise dull place. I especially would like to thank you for your reply paid letters between calls and munchies.
Thanks for this really important work.
Since reading the December issue of About Time, I have started to read the Bible. I want to say I am not a religious person, but there are so many things I can relate to and I think I am getting to know myself better through reading it. I don't think I would have picked it up if not for Denis's letter published in the December 2024 issue; a very big thank you to you my friend you have been a big influence on many people over the years. I look forward to more poetry. Keep up the good work mate.
I am writing in regards to the writing competition. I would like to acknowledge and give thanks to country, elders past, present and future. I am very grateful for this opportunity and am excited to add this experience to my resume.
I have a son who's on remand and as your paper isn't issued in the NT a hard copy would be great, as I can quote items to him in letters.
Many thanks! Keep up the great work!
Thanks for reading, I hope it made some sense, I love the About Time paper and what it does for the world.
Most important newspaper/media going – thank you for all that you do.
I appreciate your time and I love your paper and its content.
Thank you, keep up the good work. From a supporter x
Big shout out from the Tassie crew thank you for getting the paper going, can only imagine the brick walls and troubles you had to go through. Love the content you guys have, a variety and relevant information.
We may be criminals, but we also cry at night.
To everyone who writes in please keep it up and encourage others to submit letters, art, poetry etc as myself and I'm sure many others really do enjoy receiving About Time and reading all the fantastic letters, articles etc... To everyone at About Time, my fellow brothers and sisters and anyone else who reads the paper – Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Remember to be kind to one another over the festive season.
I wanted to mention that I work with guys transitioning back into the community after being in prison and the everyone absolutely loves the paper – so thanks for all the great work.
I would be pleased to maintain contact and further contribute. About Time is a valued publication in prison and a worthy pursuit.
I do love getting your publication. I cut it into A4 sections and send them to my son, who is in an NT prison. Only 5 cut-out pages at a time, of course!
Thank you for providing a platform for connection and creative expression for the most marginalised cohorts in our communities. People who write in prison authentically honestly and vulnerably in the stories and experiences they share. Articles and contributions read as authentic, honest and raw.
I think you do a great job, that's appreciated by prisoners and outsiders/staff alike. Keep up the fabulous work!
Thank you About Time.
Thank you for your time reading this. And thank you for giving me and the other blokes something good to read here.
The paper enables folks to survive on the inside and then reimagine life beyond it.
There are some fantastic poems in issue six that have inspired me to knock one up to send off next month. Keep up the good work!
Hey mate, I received your letter the other day & I appreciate your reply on my story "Time Stands Still For No Man." Today we all got a copy of Issue 17 of About Time & to see that you put my story on the 2nd page made me smile. All the lads were quick to yell out & say "Is that you Leb." I was like yes boys, they were all moved by my story so I guess it done the job it was meant to do.
Great work with the paper keep it up… Since reading your paper I realise other prisons go through the same issue. It's not fair or humane.
About Time arrived yesterday, and both my wife and I would like to thank you very much for sending it to us. It is a very interesting newspaper and it must be of benefit to a lot of inmates. Thank you again Edith.
Thank you for creating a safe non-judgmental space, a way of communicating for our loved ones who are often forgotten by society and giving us on the outside a chance to hear from and read about what life is like inside.
Thanks for your work folks!
Love that yous are doing what you can to provide something for us all to read and pass the time.
I thank you again for everything, the newspaper, your letters and the time you take reading mine. You have been an inspirational part of my journey and have helped contribute to my focus of change for a better and successful future and pursuit of living up to my true potential and ultimately striving to live my best possible life. Thank you.
Having been encouraged by your 11th edition prison newspaper, regarding a 'judicial review' process, I have learned and gained immeasurably, familiarising myself with processes otherwise unknown by the majority of inmates in the Victorian prison system.
Thank you most kindly for your words about my latest article, 'When Your Mind Turns Against You: Understanding Depression in Prison.' It came straight from the heart.
Together we can effect positive change, and About Time is a blessed resource for doing just that. Your work is immensely meaningful.
Thank you About Time – the printed voice of the prisons.
I just wanted to let you know how much I admire your work. I think it is remarkable the way you give a voice to people who often do not have the opportunity to express themselves or share their stories.
Thank you Denham for writing back to me about the lockdowns happening here at DPFC. And I especially say thanks for your guidance in writing the article. Thank you again for all your help with this.
Hello to About Time, and all readers everywhere.
Sometimes when I'm alone I enjoy writing to try and take my mind from where I am. This is one of the poems. I hope you enjoy! Thanks a lot for providing me the opportunity to express myself and my thoughts to my fellow incarcerated people! Keep your head high guys and girls… Let them lock up our bodies but never our minds...
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