It had disaster written all over it - the do-gooder prison visitor wanting to help and the repeat offender vowing to change his ways, the love affair followed by the helplessness and heartbreak when he returned to jail again and again.
The terrible facts are that more than 43 per cent of released prisoners return to jail in Victoria within two years and considering our prison population is exploding, this means the problem will only get worse. ‘‘Prisoners view professional staff as authority figures and are more likely to listen to individuals that have walked in their shoes,’’ she says.
In Victoria attempts to use ex-inmates as peer support have spectacularly backfired. After serving 17 years inside, Stan Taylor vowed to be a mentor to the vulnerable: ‘‘I’ve done my time. There are a lot of young people who are down, who are unemployed, who could be thinking that crime is the answer. My message is that crime is never the answer. I have not met one person – not one – who has had a successful life because of crime.
While it is too early to judge the effectiveness of the program, the initial results are promising. One prisoner recently texted his mentor: ‘‘Look Bro I just want to say thank you for the support you given me.
Simon Fenech is one of the former inmates turned Straight Talking mentors. He was a champion kickboxer and full time worker until he was badly injured when struck by a forklift at work. Temporarily wheelchair-bound and addicted to pain medication, he turned to ice and became hopelessly addicted. His life spiralled out of control as he lost his father, mother, brother and infant daughter in one year.‘‘When you use ice you either deal or steal, and I became a dealer,’’ Fenech says.
Thanks for the tweet great article by John Silvester as always
great judgement
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