Vacro

04/10/2026

Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and humanity, including during childbirth.

We support Independent Senator for Victoria, Lidia Thorpe, who has introduced a private member’s bill to prohibit shackling during childbirth, following ongoing concern about the use of restraints on women in custody giving birth.

“Anyone who has given birth would agree that to be shackled whilst giving birth would be an incredibly violent and terrifying act.”

Senator Lidia Thorpe has introduced a bill to prohibit the practice in Australian prisons that advocates say violates the human rights of both mother and child

24/09/2026

Communities are safer and stronger when responses to youth offending are grounded in evidence, rehabilitation and harm prevention- not punishment.

We support Smart Justice for Young People's statement, and call on the Carroll Government, and every party contesting the 28 November Victorian State election, to commit to evidence-based approaches to community safety found in the Working Together report.

We also call on the Federal Attorney-General Michelle Rowland to work with states and territories to put the report's recommendations into effect.

A federal inquiry has slammed what it calls a "false narrative" in media reporting that Australia is "in the grip of a youth crime wave", while urging the government to implement national minimum standards in youth justice.

24/09/2026

Vacro is looking for two Family Support Workers to join our teams at Loddon and Hopkins!

Both roles are part-time at 0.2 FTE (one day per week), supporting our work with families and helping strengthen connections and support for people involved in the justice system.

Alternatively, an opportunity exists for a suitable candidate to combine both positions into a 0.4 FTE role (two days per week), with travel between the two locations required at the successful candidate’s own cost.

If you’re passionate about supporting families, building meaningful connections and contributing to positive change for people in prison and their families, we’d love to hear from you. Please share with your networks and submit an application through our website before September 30.

16/09/2026

Inside About Time 's reintegration column this month...

"Instead of trying to perform recovery, I may have felt safe enough to be honest about where I was. Having someone who believed my voice mattered could have made reintegration feel less like something being done to me, and more like something I was actively part of."

When people have trusted relationships, meaningful opportunities and support that responds to their individual needs, then successful reintegration becomes possible.

Not once did somebody ask me what I needed, what mattered to me, or what healing looked like from my perspective.

15/09/2026

After a restructure and two big internal promotions, we have two exciting opportunities for new program leaders in our Arc and ReLink teams!

Join us in supporting people as they prepare for a new beginning, build stability and strengthen their pathways from prison back to community.

Share widely with your networks! Applications for both positions close Monday September 24, 2026.

https://www.vacro.org.au/Listing/Category/current-vacancies

10/09/2026

Issue #23 of PaperChained is packed with compelling stories, artwork, creative writing and book reviews, as well as a story detailing Damien Linnane’s visit to Tagimoucia in Fiji; a gallery located across from Suva Correctional Centre.

Take five minutes from your day to have a read and hear from voices inside prison: https://paperchained.com/issue-23/ Community Restorative Centre (CRC) Curtin University

Issue 23 of Paper Chained has now been released on our website, and has being posted to all subscribers in custody on our physical mailing list. Special thanks to this issue's cover artists, Anil and Leiatu, who are both incarcerated in Suva Correctional Centre, Fiji. Indeed, the highlight of this

08/09/2026

This recent study illuminates First Nations people with disability are spending extended periods in custody, and some fail to receive appropriate healthcare.

This research was led by the University of Melbourne's BlakAbility team, Associate Professor Sheelagh Daniels-Mayes, research fellow Sharon Kerr, and academic Aunty Roslyn Sackley who have now secured further funding to investigate how the findings can drive reform.

The Barriers Within Bars report found disability can go undiagnosed or unsupported due to a lack of culturally safe health services and different cultural understandings of disability. Read more:

Many First Nations people with disabilities in custody are spending lengthy periods on remand — many without convictions — and are often not receiving the adequate care they need, a new In...

03/09/2026

This Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) article reveals Tasmania has one of the highest recidivism rates in the country, with 46.6% of people leaving prison returning within two years of release.

A key part of successful reintegration is supporting people to rebuild broken relationships and develop meaningful, stable connections with the people they love. These relationships can play an important role in helping people build a stronger future beyond prison.

Through our Arc program, we’ve seen the positive impact of long-term case management that walks alongside people well beyond their initial transition back into the community.

Almost half of those released from prison end up back behind bars within two years. Convicted drug trafficker Shannon Pursell was one of them.

02/09/2026

Vacro is looking for a Case Manager to join our Second Chance Jobs program, supporting people who have experienced the criminal justice system and/or migration detention to secure and sustain meaningful employment.

If you're motivated to support people to overcome barriers to employment and create meaningful change then this position is for you! Share with your networks and apply before September 14! https://www.vacro.org.au/case-manager-second-chance-jobs

27/08/2026

'Facing the Numbers' is a documentary about First Nations stories of resilience, loss, truth-telling and healing. After its world premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festivallast week, the film has received praise for bringing statistics collected on incarcerated people to life through deeply personal stories grounded in lived experience.

"There's a lot that we want to achieve with these films. We just want to connect with audiences. We want people to see that you know the fact that we are the most incarcerated people on earth is not right," said Kieran Satour, one of the filmmakers.

Kieran Satour and Tyson Perkins' new documentary is a striking expression of lived experience, people and families so often hidden behind the statistics.Facing the Numbers blends form throughout its a...