It is a date which hangs heavily on the mind of every prisoner.
The moment they can walk the streets again as a free person. They might have been building up to this important day for weeks, months, years, or even decades.
But what actually happens during an inmate’s last hours behind bars and their first hours on the outside?
EIGHTY dollars.
It was all the money James had to his name when he walked out of prison for the first time in years as a free man.
In his pocket was a Go card (Transport) with $10 credit.
A prison official had earlier issued it to him with instructions to make his own way home — despite not having one — or to arrange other accommodation.
“It’s a big encouragement to them if they have someone to meet them at the gate when they’re released,”
“However, for all too many there is no one”
Starting from scratch is no easy feat. With a housing crisis and very few people to help you, it is a daunting job.
So many end up sleeping rough and if you can find someone to help there from before you went in often in a lifestyle that helped you get locked up in the first place.
Within 24 hours you need to register with housing centerlink and parole, this is a very difficult task for most of us but look at it from the perspective of someone that has been out of society for a few years.
Institutionalization encourages incarcerated men and women to feel incapable of or not responsible for making good decisions.
with the rate of return over 50% within two years and it seems to be growing
are we seprised by the statistics when you stop to look at the first week of being released through there eyes.