Calendars featuring artwork by former prisoners are helping to break down barriers for women looking to reintegrate into society after prison.
Sharon* was incarcerated for four years and said she felt prison would be safer than remaining in a domestic violence situation.
“I was married nearly 40 years at the time, but it would have been the last 15 years of that marriage where it got really bad,” she said.
“You leave everything behind, and I’m not the only one that makes that decision, as there were a lot of people in with me who had done the same thing.
“You’re also impacted by a lot of things after prison, like to be able to get a job now is very difficult and you’re looked at differently, but the other side of the coin is worse.
“No one is saying things like ‘you’ll wear this’ or ‘you’ll do this’, so it’s totally different and I’m very lucky that I had the support of my family, which some women don’t get.”
Not-for-profit organisation Prison Network helps women reintegrate into society after incarceration and distributes calendars to prisons during December. The calendars feature artwork by women in and out of prison.
“Every year we’ll put together a hamper, that includes a calendar, so that every woman in prison gets a gift at a time that is obviously very difficult for them on the inside,” chief executive Amelia Pickering said.
“Anything that we can do to help destigmatise these women and present them as women who have got so much to offer and so much to give to society is so important.
“Nine out of 10 women in a Victorian prison have been a victim of violence and abuse, so there are a lot of tragedy, heartbreak, poverty and disadvantage that come before prison.”
Sharon’s art features heavily in the calendar and said she hoped her work would help remind women in prison that people were still there for them.
“It’s really lovely to be seen and people enjoy what they see, so I’m really happy to contribute some of my artwork to the calendar,” she said.
“Art saved my life and if I didn’t have that while I was in prison, it would have been a very different experience, and it can put you in a different headspace.”
Sharon said life after prison had been “wonderful” as she has had no contact with the alleged domestic violence perpetrator since she was incarcerated.
Visit prisonnetwork.org.au/shop to purchase a calendar or gift one to a woman in prison.
*Sharon’s name used in this article is an alias for the individual’s protection, and the details are their own words or observations.
