Reintegration

Prison is endured, not processed. The trauma often goes unrecognised and unacknowledged. Many of us hide the damage, even from ourselves. Without validation, we carry it alone – mistaking struggle for weakness, layering self-blame on top of trauma and finding no clear path to relief.

Simon Fenech is the General Manager/Director at social enterprise Fruit2Work in Victoria. His transformation from a drug addict, buried deep in Australia’s criminal underworld, to an inspirational figure, intent on changing the lives of others, is remarkable.

Release can feel like a distant flicker – filled with both hope and uncertainty. But, when the gates open, freedom isn’t just liberating; it can be overwhelming.

All states and territories offer bond loans or other forms of assistance to help cover the cost of a rental bond when you move into a new rental home.

Everyone has the right to dream. To expect. To imagine a version of life where we get to decide who we are – not just live with who we’ve been told we are. That kind of dreaming is powerful. It keeps something alive in us. Something worth fighting for.

If I had found freedom in prison, then what was even the point trying to fit in with society?

Ask Izzy is a website and an app that connects people in need with housing, a meal, money help, family violence support, counselling and much more.

My release date was the 18th of March 2025, and in one month I have accomplished so many things.

What helped me was realising that there was nothing inherently wrong with me and that it was my brain trying to cope.

I was released about four weeks ago and I was quite stressed. To be completely honest, I didn't really want to leave. The truth is, I loved prison and it became part of my identity.