For any person in prison and coming up for release within the next year, have you ever thought about what your transitional worker should be doing?

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Workers who help you with sentence management, reintegration and parole are called different things in different states and territories.

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In Victoria, they’re called Assessment and Transition Coordinators (ATCs). In your prison, they might be called Offender Services and Programs Officers, Case Managers, Throughcare Staff or Reintegration Officers.

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Whatever their titles, these staff members should help you get ready for your release back into the community, including with Centrelink, housing and other support services.

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My experience from my ATC prior to my release in February 2026 left so many steps either not done, or done too late, that I will be at a disadvantage for years.

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So, what should your transitional worker actually be helping you with?

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Centrelink

Make contact with Centrelink at least three months before your release. Depending on how long you’ve been incarcerated, any issues with Centrelink payments will take at least three months to sort out. It is critical to have any payments from Centrelink ready to go as soon as you’re released.

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If you don’t have work or any other means of income, you don’t want to be waiting months for Centrelink to sort it out. If you have over $750 in your withheld, you will not get a crisis payment. If you have some superannuation, you will not get a crisis payment.

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The cheque you will receive from Corrections for your withheld on your release cannot be cashed or deposited with many banks. Make sure your name and all details are up to date with your bank before your release. Also make sure that your bank will still allow you to deposit a cheque.

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If you had a bank account prior to your incarceration, and it hasn’t been used for some time, the bank will probably cancel your account. Some banks will not open a bank account again for you once you have a CRN.

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Housing

If you don’t have housing on the outside or, at the very least, somewhere to sleep, your worker must help you to register with the Victorian Housing Register or VHR, or the equivalent in your state or territory. Generally, three years prior to your release, or at the very least, 12 months prior to your release.

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Any police matters – IVO or DV issues – should be finalised with police at least three months prior to your release.

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Change of Address

Change of address for all your correspondence. The prison will not forward any mail that comes to you after your release. They throw it out.

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If you have been incarcerated for a number of years, trying to reactivate old usernames and passwords can be problematic.
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Ask your support worker to make sure you can still access anything you need to.

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Your transitional worker is there to help you transition. That’s their only job. If they have a lot of inmates they need to look after, that’s not your fault or your problem. Try to make sure they are doing a job for you. That’s what they get paid for.