Prisoners Learn Alongside Students

RMIT's Inside-Out program where incarcerated people study a subject on crime and justice together with students from RMIT University passed its 10-year milestone with 1,000 students through the program.

It has now been announced as a finalist in Universities Australia's Shaping Australia Awards, in the Future Builders category.

The unique program brings students together for two hours a week over 12 weeks to study a subject titled Comparative Criminal Justice Systems, and was introduced to Victorian prisons in 2015 by Associate Professor Marietta Martinovic, in partnership with Corrections Victoria.

Once students complete the program, they can join RMIT’s prison-based Think Tanks, which provide a powerful and unique environment for further positive change.

The Think Tanks have been involved in more than 150 stakeholder consultations and produced more than 50 thought-provoking reports for Corrections Victoria and other stakeholders.   

Martinovic said research on the program confirmed benefits to participants on both sides of the program.

“The program is rehabilitative for the people in custody and provides real life experiences to the ‘outside’ students,” she said.

“It humanises people in custody to the outside students, as they gain a rare insight into the human and social elements of incarceration.”

She said the program also prepares people in custody for life upon release.

“It builds their self-esteem, motivation and critical thinking skills. These skills are intended to provide motivation for further education leading to employment,” said Martinovic, from RMIT’s School of Global, Urban and Social Studies.  

A Life-Changing Educational Experience
One incarcerated participant who has been involved in the Inside-Out program and Think Tank for about three years said it had reshaped his perspective on education and provided a lifeline to new possibilities.

“Inside-Out offers a profound opportunity for those within prison walls to rediscover their sense of self-worth and engage in a world of learning that was previously beyond our reach,” he said.

Meanwhile, Isabel, an RMIT Criminology and Psychology student said the program taught her that people in prison were more than just the sentences they’ve been given.

“It’s been one of the most rewarding and eye-opening experiences of my life, offering a deep and nuanced understanding of the human beings behind the labels often imposed by society,” she said.

“Through this journey, I've witnessed firsthand the resilience, growth, and potential for change within individuals who are often overlooked or misunderstood. This realisation has profoundly impacted me, reinforcing my belief in the importance of second chances and the power of rehabilitation.”

Since the program started in Victorian prisons in 2015, it has taken place in eight Corrections Victoria locations:
•    Judy Lazarus Transition Centre 
•    Dame Phyllis Frost Centre
•    Tarrengower Prison 
•    Ravenhall Correctional Centre 
•    Marngoneet Correctional Centre (including Karreenga) 
•    Loddon Prison Precinct (including Middleton).