Tragic trend behind women prison rates

Tragic trend behind women prison rates

#womeninprison #humaninterest #lifeafterprison #documentary #australia

More Aussie women than ever before are finding themselves behind bars, with one reason to blame. Two women reveal shocking insights into life in prison, as well as life afterward, and the shocking trend which has seen more women incarcerated.

READ THE FULL STORY: https://www.news.com.au/national/courts-law/so-unrealistic-former-criminal-turns-to-tiktok-due-to-constant-barriers/news-story/4ae2dcd43bfeebde36d537e67bd24f2d

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When Devyn Hammond left prison in 2023, she thought her time as a convict was over.

Little did she know her life-long sentence had just begun. Hammond spent two years and six months behind bars after her involvement in the biggest tax fraud case in Australian history.

The case, known as the Plutus Payroll scheme, saw 15 people sentenced after more than $105 million was scammed from the ATO from 2014 to 2017.

At just 24 years old, Hammond pleaded guilty to being involved in the day-to-day operations of the scheme and has opened up to news.com.au about the case and her time in prison.

Hammond said before being arrested she hadn’t even had a parking ticket and had no idea what to expect from a women’s prison other than “what you would watch on TV”.

She said while she was initially terrified of the other inmates, the women inside ended up being the people she relied on most for support.

She said the biggest shocks were the constant strip searches, as well as using a shared toilet.

Hammond said she exercised and spoke to her friends and family “as much as possible” to maintain her mental health.

She also worked in the jail, in jobs such as helping out in the kitchen, for a wage of $24 a week.

After being released in early 2023, Hammond said she had no idea how hard it would be returning to normal life.

Hammond said she was lucky enough to have family support, but found herself unable to open a bank account of her own, or find employment after leaving prison.

The barriers turned Hammond to social media, where she now shares the unique difficulties women face after leaving prison – and the path that often leads them to homelessness or reoffending.

More than two years since her release, Hammond has still been unable to find a job, and has since become a stay-at-home mum alongside working in advocacy for women leaving custody.

Hammond said she was “not surprised” that the rates of women in prisons are going up after her own experience.

The rates of women going to prison has jumped more than 15 per cent since 2022, compared to just 9 per cent for men.

From 2014 to 2024, the number of female prisoners in Australia has risen by almost 33 per cent.

About half of the women in custody are First Nations women. Experts believe the lingering life stresses from Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis are to blame.

Criminal defence lawyer Lauren Cassimatis, who has become a leading voice on women’s prison reform in Australia, said the risk of homelessness is huge for women leaving custody.

Ms Cassimatis said Hammond’s case – where she has been able to rely on family and become an advocate through social media – was “rare” and “very fortunate”.

With 85 per cent of female prisoners either sexual or domestic violence survivors, Ms Cassimatis said some women are often still fleeing DV situations when they return to normal life.

She said some women will even reoffend just to avoid homelessness after being “left up to their own devices”.

Given that each prisoner costs the Australian taxpayer almost $160,000 a year – the outcome is less than ideal for everyone.

“You just see them back before the court,” she said.

“Some unfortunately also suicide because it’s just they’re just so lonely and helpless.”

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