Inside Out
“You’re hearing firsthand accounts from people behind bars. They’re sharing their stories – the good, the bad, and the downright eye-opening. Suddenly, those prison walls don’t seem so daunting anymore. You realise these folks are just like us, with dreams, regrets, and a whole lot of resilience. And let me tell you, listening to these stories? It’s like hitting the empathy jackpot. You start seeing the world through a whole new lens. Those stereotypes you had about prisoners? Yeah, they vanish quicker than you can say “orange is the new black.” Suddenly, you’re all about spreading kindness and understanding like confetti.”
Outside student, DPFC
- Inside Out Prison Exchange Program is an innovative and transformational education program where university students undertake a subject alongside incarcerated people. Together, in a prison setting they are studying a semester-long subjects titled ‘Comparative Criminal Justice Systems.’
- This program has been operational since 2015 when RMIT partnered with Corrections Victoria to offer the program. The program has been offered across eight Victorian prisons and has had more than 800 graduates. To date, this remains the only program of its kind in Australia.
- The program was introduced by Dr Marietta Martinovic, who was inspired by the powerful outcomes of Inside Out program at Temple University, Pennsylvania, USA.
“The best part was going out of my comfort zone and taking on new challenges I’d normally pass on. I realised that there are a lot of people who will take you on face value…. The best part was that we were able to work alongside ‘normal people’ without an awkward divide, and although my nerves and anxiety were there, I pushed passed it.”
Inside student, Karreenga
