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.

Let’s face it: money makes the world go around.

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’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.