This section publishes stories about individuals’ experiences with the criminal justice system.
There are so many ways that people have interacted with the system, and so many stories to tell.
Experiences aims to tell those stories, presented as beautiful feature articles.
My advice? Each new dawn is one day closer to release. Focus on the moment and time will take care of itself. It’s not the amount of time you’ve got – it’s how you use it.
I used to work in underground coal mines, and down there I experienced a similar sense of camaraderie to what I later encountered in prison.
I’m currently 45 years old and I have spent 19 years of my life in NSW jails, albeit in instalments (not all in one go), because I kept falling for the traps of evil.
Who would have thought prison would be so noisy. No, not the inmates (although they can be a tad rambunctious at times) – I’m talking about all the bloody announcements!
My partner gave me 24 frozen roses the Valentine’s Day he went to prison.
My first day out was surreal. Just walking out the gate, I felt the weight slip from my shoulders. I told Mum with a smile, “I’m a free man, for today.”
My heart stopped the moment I heard his voice, the panic already rising before he even said a word. “They’re deporting me,” he whispered.
So this Mother’s Day, please know we’re still here, and still holding you in mind. Always. You are always in our thoughts and in our hearts.
I wonder whether Richard’s new-found “freedom” will be just another word or, perhaps, a new-found sentence.
The biggest thing that caught me off guard when I got out to the sentenced jails was how comfortable people were just doing four or five years like it was nothing.
The handling of Aboriginal art and the ignorance around cultural significance by prisons in Victoria is appalling. This was my experience. It happened to me more than once, and no one was ever held accountable.
I don’t want to be on Centrelink – I want to work. I will cook, clean, waitress, pick up rubbish – anything. But I cannot because of a Police Check and Working with Children’s Check.
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.
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.