The Yellow Ribbon Project for Second Chances Australian exists to give female offenders, ex-offenders and those at risk of offending, a second chance at life. Started by Jade Lewis & Friends Inc which was launched in April 2011 by the Hon. Colin Barnett, the program seeks to work with broken, hurting and marginalised females in our community who need help and support to rebuild and restore their l
ives. The idea is to engage the community by providing training and other opportunities to prepare them to accept female ex-offenders and their families back into society. The Yellow Ribbon Project for Second Chances Australia today runs 9 weekly programs in Western Australian prisons for women, youth in detention, pre and post prison release mentoring programs, youth diversion programs, awareness programs, training of mentors and school drug prevention presentations. The Yellow Ribbon Project has been inspired by the popular song, ‘Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree’, which you would have heard playing in the background as your entered this morning. It is s supposedly based on the real-life tale of an ex-offender’s journey to forgiveness. There are three lines from the song that sums up the helplessness of the offender and the need for forgiveness from family and the community.
“I’m really in prison and my love,
She still holds the key,
A simple yellow ribbon’s what I need to set me free”
The ‘SHE’ referred to in the song, “She still holds the key” is the family, friends, neighbours, employers, colleagues, volunteers, churches and the Community at large willing to unlock the second prison. . We realised that no matter how good the rehab programs they undertake while in prison, unless these women are given a second chance and be mentored, supported and accepted back into community once they are released, some of them find themselves right back where they started from. Sometimes, even worse. Sometimes the stigma of being in prison can be worse than the prison sentence itself. It’s like the women leave one prison and enter another one
The Yellow Ribbon Project for Second Chances is not about us condoing what the females offenders have done; but looking at new opportunities to help them rehabilitate so that hopefully they won’t do what they have done again. The first step to this whole process is of course the female prisoner being sorry for what she has done, and motivated to make positive changes in her life. Singapore and Fiji also run their own Yellow Ribbon Project Programs. Jade has travelled to Fiji and been part of seeing the wonderful impact that the Yellow Ribbon Project has on the wider community. Today as a community we have an opportunity to show our support of The Yellow Ribbon Project by wearing a yellow ribbon. (Get your yellow ribbon here) When you wear a yellow ribbon what you are saying in an unspoken way is “I forgive you and I am willing to find ways to help you with a second chance.”
And this is what the yellow ribbon project aims to: engage the communitiy in giving female ex offenders a second chance at life
John F Kennedy said “Don’t ask what your country can do for you; but what you can do for your country
And as we continue to advocate for these women, we are motivated to help them find their purpose which is far greater than drugs and crime and violence. And not just for their benefit but to see them helped but that they can help to others too. We invite you on this journey with us to building safer communities and stronger families. Together we can make a difference.
