Vacro

31/05/2026

In 2025, every staff member at Vacro was involved in the process of shaping our new values, representing a journey of growth shaped by our long history of reintegration support.

Each value marks a stage of progress, showing how they build on, reinforce, and inform one another. Their sequence is intentional and realised across our organisation, reflecting our evolution and the purpose that continues to drive us into the future.

Stay informed about our work: https://www.vacro.org.au/newsletter

29/05/2026

"The deeper question is not why the system fails. It is why Australia keeps expecting a system weighted towards late crisis intervention to produce outcomes that can only be generated by early structural investment."

Strong families and communities are built through connection, stability and support. We know the importance of family connection, particularly for children, and the lasting harm caused when families are separated instead of supported.

Australia tells itself a comforting story about child protection. We tell ourselves children are only removed from their families when there is no other choice. We tell ourselves the system protects v...

27/05/2026

Mainul Haque, an Official Visitor to correctional centres, shares his insights on reintegration with Pearls & Irritations: "I have met individuals leaving custody with no confirmed housing, delayed income support, and fragmented access to health and employment services. Each system exists independently, but they do not operate together at the point of transition."

We also see this all too clearly in our daily work. Fractured social systems allow people to fall through the cracks due to failure in system design. People leaving prison need secure housing, connection to community, genuine opportunities and through-care to have a real chance at successful reintegration.

Australia’s correctional system remains heavily focused on incarceration and punishment while failing to build a coordinated national framework to support people transitioning back into society after release.

27/05/2026

Vacro staff attended the flag raising ceremony at the Derrimut Weelam Gathering Place to support the kick off of Reconciliation Week. What a special and joyous morning it was, kicked off by Jaedan Williams from Biik Bundjiil drawing us in to share in his community's way of seeing and experiencing the land and world around us.

Community Leader, Kalie from the Gathering Place delivered an emotional truth telling that yet again, demonstrated the pathway of resilience, connection and the openness that First Nations choose. We were delighted to be welcomed to participate.

27/05/2026

Vacro recognises the importance of fostering respectful relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the broader community. Through our commitment to reconciliation, we actively promote understanding, respect, and collaboration, encouraging all individuals to engage in meaningful conversations and actions that contribute to healing and unity.

The theme for Reconciliation Week 2026 is 'All in,' a call to commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation every single day. All In makes clear that reconciliation is not a spectator sport and that all of us must step away from the sidelines and take actions that create change. There is an abundance of events around the nation, find one near you:

Every year workplaces, schools, early learning services, community groups, reconciliation groups, and people right across the country host a range of activities and events during National Reconciliation Week (NRW).

27/05/2026

Communities deserve safety responses grounded in care, not punishment.

Ahead of the Victorian state election, Alternative First Responders is bringing together advocates, organisers and community leaders who are challenging police-led crisis responses and building community-led alternatives that keep people safe. We support this campaign and recommend that you do too.

During the event you will have the opportunity to ask questions to Apryl Day, Dhadjowa Foundation, Loz Caufield, Beyond Survival Project, Harm Reduction Victoria (Australia) and Footscray Mall Friends.

Book a spot in tomorrow's webinar, held on Thursday May 28th 11am-12:30pm: https://events.humanitix.com/alternative-first-responders-action-webinar

National Justice Project

Join the Alternative First Responders webinar series to learn and take action asking for alternatives to the police-first response.

18/05/2026

This year’s Reconciliation Week theme, ‘All in’, calls on all Australians to take an active role in reconciliation.

This panel event on June 1st, 9:30-11:30am in Footscray provides a space to reflect on what that looks like in practice for individuals, organisations and the wider community.

Guided by the themes of truth, listening and action, the discussion will bring together First Nations voices, lived experience and organisational perspectives in a respectful and moderated conversation.

Attendees will be encouraged to reflect on their own role and consider how meaningful change can happen at a local level.

Register here: https://maribyrnong-events.bookable.net.au/ #!/event-detail/ev_2b1b4debd4da42a0ab3527699af2329e

14/05/2026

Phone calls should be accessible to everyone, including people in prison who have a greater chance of successful reintegration when they are able to maintain meaningful connections with family and loved ones.

The privatisation of prison telecommunication places profit before people by treating calls as a commodity rather than an integral part of the reintegration equation. As this article examines, this is happening in the US prison industry with ViaPath and Aventiv Technologies, and the same goes for contracts in Victoria held by ComsecTR Pty Ltd.

Bianca Tylek, executive director of Worth Rises states, "beyond the strain those costs would impose on incarcerated people and their families, the impact of that drop in communication would also reverberate throughout society."

Supporting families on both sides of the prison gate along with their families means ensuring family connection is affordable and accessible for all.

https://prismreports.org/2026/05/05/viapath-aventiv-prison-telecom-donations/?fbclid=IwY2xjawRnZ6lleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeQvUFNpDrJrOPGuRJt8RPoZaSBDBsskXj1HbTTcVcW9-3rJUw62wCWgFv_Lw_aem_kBtyB_RlwtCW5rBGJSjJAw

ViaPath and Aventiv give small grants to organizations helping systems-impacted families, dividing advocates on the ethics of accepting donations

14/05/2026

Programs that create pathways to employment build confidence, connection, and long-term positive outcomes for the broader community.

The 'Cows Create Careers' program, which is now operational in Fulham Prison, equips participants with practical skills for employment in the dairy industry after release. The article also highlights the inconsistency of post-release support and services across Victoria’s prisons, reinforcing the importance of strong reintegration pathways beyond custody.

While keeping people out of prison has a clear economic benefit, meaningful reintegration is ultimately about social justice, stronger communities, and ensuring people have the means to rebuild their lives.

An innovative vocational education program involving inmates at Fulham Correctional Centre and Gippsland dairy farmers has achieved some successful re-integrations i...

13/05/2026

Well-resourced support services and rehabilitation programs give people a better chance to successfully rebuild their lives after prison.

Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation in WA noted that "communities are being expected to manage highly complex issues without the resources or expertise required," with people being released back into community without the supports they need to transition successfully.

Breaking cycles of incarceration means resourcing the services, programs and community-led responses that help people stay connected, supported, and out of the justice system.

Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation has urged reform of the Broome Courthouse and broader Western Australian justice system, warning that unsafe court infrastructure, 'chronic' underfunding of support s...