Walking alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, cultivating healing and thriving through their justice journey
Release Support
Your Journey, Our Support
We walk with you as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander during the Release Support phase, helping you transition from custody to community with hope and stability. We provide these services through our free My Care Journey, offering personalised care that integrates individual services and yarning circles to support your reintegration, reconnect with family, and foster resilience, empowering you to thrive.
Case Management
Within our My Care Journey, our dedicated team, in partnership with ACT Corrective Services, guides you through the Release Support phase with personalised case management. We create tailored plans that integrate services on this page, such as transport and mentoring, alongside yarning circles, to support your stability, confidence, and preparation for the Community Support phase.
Step 1: We design a personalised release day plan for a smooth transition to the community. This includes practical arrangements like transport, food and shopping, as well as preparation for parole reporting. To ensure stability, we assess your accommodation needs during custody, exploring options like transitional housing or family support. We advocate with housing providers, make referrals, and include these arrangements in your plan to secure safe, stable accommodation upon release, helping you feel confident and prepared.
Step 2: On your release day, we’ll carry out the personalised Release Day Plan you developed with your case worker during the Prison Support phase. This ensures you have everything you need to begin your journey to establish yourself in the Yeddung Mura community with confidence, hope, and stability. Depending on your plan, services such as transport to your accommodation, connecting with your mentor for emotional support, shopping for food, and attending your first parole reporting appointment will be available. You may also have the opportunity to share a meal with family and loved ones. Before the day is over, you will discuss what you will be doing the following day as part of your Community Establishment plan.
Step 3: We develop a community establishment plan to guide your early reintegration, focusing on emotional wellbeing, family reconnection, and access to yarning circles to address post-release challenges.
Chaplaincy
As part of the Yeddung Mura Chaplaincy Program, our team of Aboriginal Elders, respectfully known as Uncles—a title reflecting their cultural significance, wisdom, and role as trusted community leaders—offers culturally safe, trauma-informed care to support your spiritual and emotional well-being during this phase. Recognised for their compassionate hearts and skills in supporting mental well-being and spiritual needs, our Uncles visit you weekly to provide personal support through one-on-one visits, listening to your needs, offering prayers for you and your family, and holding a fortnightly Indigenous Chapel Service as a culturally safe space for spiritual connection and reflection. We assist with court processes, provide counselling, and support your emotional and mental health, helping you find hope, healing, and strength while building a trusting relationship that continues throughout your justice journey.
Drop-In Centre
Our Drop-In Centre serves as a culturally safe space for families of detainees, offering support and connection at our 1.3 hectare leased facility in Fadden near Fadden Pines while you are in custody. We provide guidance and resources to help families stay connected, prepare for your release, and forge a network of community connections that you can utilise upon release, ensuring a supportive environment for your return.
Family Support: We provide guidance and resources to families of detainees, helping them stay connected and prepare for your release in a culturally safe way.
Release Preparation: We collaborate with families and support networks to plan for your release, creating connections that you can rely on after custody and ensuring a drug-free, supportive environment for your return.
Family Support
We support your family by offering emotional care to maintain and strengthen connections while you are in custody, ensuring they remain resilient during this challenging time. Our team provides culturally safe support, guided by a Family Plan, to help them prepare for your release, offering a listening ear to manage stress and uncertainty while keeping relationships strong through visits and communication, ensuring a foundation for reconciliation upon your return. We also organise community events for families outside the prison, focusing on fun days like bowling events, family sports days, or game nights where your mum, dad, sons, or daughters can participate, helping them stay connected through shared joy and community support, fostering resilience and hope for your return.
- Family Connection Support: We provide guidance and resources to your family, helping them stay connected with you through visits and communication, ensuring a foundation for reconciliation upon release.
- Reconciliation Preparation: We work with your family to prepare for your return, addressing potential challenges and fostering hope for rebuilding relationships.
Mentoring
Our Throughcare Program, in partnership with ACT Corrective Services, provides active mentoring to help you navigate the challenges of incarceration during this phase, ensuring a strong foundation for your transition. Our mentor pool of trained Aboriginal Elders and volunteers works directly with you, offering guidance and emotional support through culturally safe, one-on-one counselling sessions to address mental health concerns, providing a safe space to share your experiences and develop coping strategies to manage stress, anxiety, or trauma related to the justice system, supporting your emotional resilience. This holistic approach helps you identify your needs and goals, building a supportive network that prepares you for a successful return to community.
Peer Support
During custody at the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC), our Throughcare Program, in partnership with ACT Corrective Services, delivers yarning circles directly to you, connecting you with peers who share lived experience to offer emotional support and inspiration. In these culturally safe sessions, you’ll hear stories of successful change from those who have overcome similar challenges, fostering resilience and hope for your release while building bonds that can extend into lasting community support networks.
Transport
Our Throughcare Program, in partnership with ACT Corrective Services, provides transportation support for your family to maintain connection with you, ensuring they can attend visits and stay engaged in your journey. We offer culturally safe transport services to facilitate these visits, fostering family bonds and preparing for your release by keeping loved ones connected through regular support.