We Didn’t Have Prisons?

Series

So What If …

Where

The Wheeler Centre

When

Tuesday, 21 May 2019, 12:30pm - 01:30pm

Event Status

Past event

Australia’s prison populations are booming and their demographics are heavily skewed – with Indigenous Australians shockingly over-represented. Why do we rely so heavily on prisons in our criminal justice system, and what would our society look like if we abolished incarceration? What are the alternatives in terms of prevention, deterrence and rehabilitation? What would we do about violent citizens? And what changes might we need to make to our health, housing and education systems to enable a prison-free society?

Presented in partnership with Melbourne Knowledge Week.

Featuring

Robyn Newitt

Meriki Onus

Debbie Kilroy

Featuring

Robyn Newitt

Robyn Newitt is a proud Dharawal (South-West Sydney area of New South Wales) and Yorta Yorta (Echuca and Shepparton area along the Murray River in Victoria) woman. Robyn currently works within the Department of Social Work and the School of Primary and Allied Health Care at Monash University. Robyn ... Read more

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Meriki Onus

Meriki Onus is a Gunnai and Gunditjmara woman who grew in Gippsland. Meriki is currently doing policy and advocacy at Djirra. She also has significant experience in campaigning in community on issues such as deaths in custody, youth detention, racism and more recently the Djapwurrung trees. Meriki i... Read more

Debbie Kilroy

Debbie Kilroy was imprisoned for drug trafficking in 1989 for six years. She was stabbed and witnessed the only murder inside an Australian women’s prison, and lost almost everything: her marriage, her home and her children. After her release in 1992, Debbie established Sisters Inside to advo... Read more