Australia's National
Prison Newspaper

Australia's National
Prison Newspaper

Australia's National
Prison Newspaper

ISSUE NO. 16
NOVEMBER 2025

Letters

About Time dedicates many of its pages to publishing the letters of people in prison, as well as from their family and friends.

This is the centrepiece of the paper: a platform for people to share their experiences and learn from each other.

Latest
Hope and Solidarity – a Freakin' Buzz!
Hope and Solidarity – a Freakin' Buzz!
Hope and Solidarity – a Freakin' Buzz!
Subheading
Subheading
By Joe
By Joe

I write to extend feedback – re: your monthly paper. I must say that it was with more than the usual measuring spoon of interest that most here @ MRC welcomed its arrival.

ISSUE NO. 3
5 MIN READ
Markus Spiske
My Time in Here Will Not Define Me
My Time in Here Will Not Define Me
My Time in Here Will Not Define Me
Subheading
Subheading
By Storm
By Storm

12 months into being remanded in custody. I’m still yet to be sentenced – hence I can’t see the end at all.

ISSUE NO. 3
3 MIN READ
'Forest Sky' by Mimo, $160, #5733, 60cm x 98cm, acrylic on canvas, available to purchase at https://www.nsw.gov.au/arts-and-culture/boom-gate-gallery
‘Kids Need Their Dads Too’: Four Years Without Seeing My Children
By Tim

The jail preaches about priding themselves on keeping family connections, yet they are rejecting child visit applications.

ISSUE NO. 16
2 MIN READ
Willy Pleasance
Having Faith in a Fresh Start
By Chris

I understand that people have done a lot in my life to better my future – that includes my whole family.  And for that I am so grateful to all. "God is good to us all.”

ISSUE NO. 16
1 MIN READ
Willy Pleasance
By Robert

I have read in quite a few issues that other inmates have been feeling the same sting of phone charges that I was.

ISSUE NO. 16
1 MIN READ
By Daniel

You can have as many support workers and parole officers as you can get, but it will never make you stop doing crimes. It has to come from within yourself.

ISSUE NO. 16
3 MIN READ
By Aidan

I remember our living room used to be filled with hundreds of CDs. My mum is where my love of music came from.

ISSUE NO. 16
2 MIN READ
By Edward

I was always drawing as a kid, and when the opportunity came up to do an art course at age 17 I went for it.

ISSUE NO. 16
2 MIN READ
By Mick

It is not a pleasurable experience. It is very difficult to face all those emotions and reflect over the course of your whole life.

ISSUE NO. 16
2 MIN READ
Previous Editions
ISSUE NO. 5
November 2024

Living Expenses in Prison

By Bradley

Our pay each week has been kept minimum for quite some time (years) despite prisoners raising their voice, there’s nothing being done about it.

3 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 5
November 2024

Guilty Until Proven Innocent: My Experience of Remand

By Donnie

As a person that has never been on the wrong side of the law, you may automatically believe that "guilty until proven innocent" is a fact of the justice system.

4 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 5
November 2024

Delusional Nut-Nut Club

By David

Have you ever been accused of being “nuts”? Have they told you that you are “crazy”? That you need to “get help” – meaning you need to see a psychiatrist?

3 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 5
November 2024

What I Learnt About Buddhism

By George

I stumbled across Buddhist meditation in 2017 where I met Hojun, the Buddhist chaplain/monk who led the meditation and spiritual discussion. Since then, thanks to Hojun, I feel I have changed mentally and spiritually in nearly every way.

3 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 5
November 2024

Another Housing Crisis

By Kelly

I was due for parole in March, and my parole is approved but there is no housing for me to go to.

2 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 5
November 2024

What Is the Meaning of Life? It’s All in the Mind

By Thomas

Our questions, our fears, our thoughts are like demands, tormenting our souls, afraid to face them.

3 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 5
November 2024

How Can We Afford to Connect With Family?

By Kerrin

I only have a short stint of a few months, but like most find myself forced to become distant from my family, mainly due to unaffordable call rates.

3 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 4
October 2024

Time Out

By Steve

My name is Steve. I have done 10 years prison time in Long Bay, Grafton, Parramatta, Goulburn, Maitland, Cessnock, Rockhampton, Arthur Gorrie, Borallan, Glen Innes and Silver Water. I got out in 2003 and have remained out ever since.

4 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 4
October 2024

Clay Changing Futures

By George

After being transferred to a minimum security prison with a fully equipped ceramic studio, I was very excited to have the opportunity, and the time, to challenge my skills and creativity.

2 MIN READ
ISSUE NO. 4
October 2024

Mark's Musings

By Mark

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.

3 MIN READ
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