Broken Chains: Education Behind Bars

Broken Chains Series 2 

Series Blurb: 

Get up close with the reality of Australia’s prison system. Former incarcerated person Damien Linnane interviews other people since released from prison, about life both inside and after release. Podcast host Damien Linnane is the author of the crime novel Scarred, the illustrator of the book This is Ear Hustle, and the editor of Paper Chained, a journal posted free to inmates worldwide. He lives in Newcastle, Australia where he works primarily as an archivist.

Links:

• Check out Damien's website: https://www.damienlinnane.com/
• See Damien's exhibition with Newcastle libraries.  "Broken Chains: Prisoners unlocking potential". Newcastle Libraries.

Education Behind Bars

With recidivism rates extremely high in Australia, and with all evidence showing that educational courses decrease reoffending, one would imagine it would be a priority to get educational programs into prisons. However, the amount of programs available is far below what most would expect. On this episode of Broken Chains, we talk to Dr Lukas Carey, an educator, former prisoner and podcast host, about barriers faced by those wishing to use their time in prison constructively by studying.

Listeners are advised this episode contains strong language.

Links:

• Check out Lukas' podcast, Talking Time with Lukas and Alicia.
• Read more about Convict Criminology Academics working to help previously incarcerated people into academia to influence policy and procedures from the insights of lived experience.
• Read more about Strain theory – the strains that people face that cause them to start criminal activity.
• General Strain Theory 
• Read more about the After Prisons Network.
• Read more about the Prison Industrial Complex.
• Read more about the University of Southern Queensland's support for incarcerated students.
• Learn about Curtin Universities Prison Outreach Program.
• Read research into the importance of having people with lived experience into efforts to reduce reincarceration rates.
• Read a media release about the “world first” initiative to get tablets for video contact to incarcerated people in NSW.  
• Compare Australia’s recidivism rate with the rest of the world here.
• Read more about Kirby Brownlow and ArcoFyre on Facebook. 
• In 1996–97, the number of prisoners in Australia accessing education averaged 57%. In 2018–19, the national average was 38.0%. NSW has the lowest percentage of incarcerated people attending education, at 22.9%.
• "Corrective Services" (PDF). Report on Government Services 1997. Productivity Commission: 426.
• "8 Corrective Services Data Tables". Report on Government Services 2020. Productivity Commission.

Views expressed disclaimer:

The views, thoughts, opinions expressed throughout this series are solely attributed to the host and guests of the p