We have limited options regarding studying whilst incarcerated. I am midway through an arts degree, however, once I am released, I am re-routing towards politics/law.

Why are jails so populated by people who are uneducated? What is being missed by the courts and cops and the community that the process of jailing people is formed around the process of not educating people or not identifying the problems in school?

Australia has never had a regular national prison newspaper. There have been at least 67 prison newsletters and magazines in Australian prison history, but none has been distributed regularly to every cell in the nation. We believe it’s about time that changed.

At first, it felt like nobody wanted to give me a chance. But, eventually, one employer took a chance on me. That warehouse job may not have looked like much to others, but to me it was everything: it gave me purpose, structure and, most of all, hope.

Studying after you leave prison may be a good option to help you learn new skills and give you more options and opportunities for employment. Studying can also help keep you motivated after leaving prison.