Australia: why it’s so hard to start a new life after prison

For many former prisoners, getting out of jail is the first step in a long and difficult journey of ‘starting afresh’.

You might expect that being released from freedom should go hand-in-hand with a newfound sense of freedom. But, according to one criminal justice expert, it’s more likely that the stress of starting a new life with little support could leave you feeling scared and anxious.

“People are often starting from absolute scratch,” says Mindy Sotiri, Program Director of Advocacy, Research and Policy at Community Restorative Centre (CRC), a New South Wales-based organisation that supports prisoners to resettle back into the community when they are released from custody.

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