Community Services | Partnerships | Women

A safer path home for women in custody

Ritchelle Drilon
May 29, 2026

Leaving custody is a transition that begins well before release and continues long after a woman returns to the community.

For many women, that transition is complex. It can involve finding safe housing, rebuilding family relationships, securing income, managing trauma, reconnecting with children and trying to find work with a criminal record. Without the right support, the path back into the community can be unstable and unsafe.

That instability has consequences. It can increase the risk of reoffending, deepen poverty and place further strain on families already under pressure.

A better approach starts earlier.

Women need practical support before they leave custody, not only after they are released. Programs that build financial literacy, independent living skills, confidence, family connection and employment pathways can help women prepare for life beyond prison.

They can also help break cycles of incarceration and disadvantage.

This work is especially important because many women in custody have experienced violence, trauma, poverty, mental health challenges and family separation. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, these barriers are often compounded by the ongoing effects of systemic disadvantage.

Professor Emerita Eileen Baldry AO, co-chair of the Keeping Women Out Of Prison Coalition, says effective programs address the barriers that often sit behind incarceration.

“They are proven to break the cycle of incarceration by addressing some of the barriers: violence and abuse, lack of education, training, employment, independent living skills, family connection and housing,” she says.

That is why reintegration support must be practical, trauma-informed and connected to community. It cannot rely on one intervention alone. Women need coordinated pathways that recognise the full reality of their lives.

Employment and volunteering can play an important role.

For women with a criminal record, access to work can be difficult. Stigma, gaps in employment history and low confidence can all stand in the way. Volunteering can provide a bridge. It gives women a chance to build skills, contribute to others and reconnect with community in a safe and structured way.

Yvette Evans-Streeter, CEO of SuccessWorks, says volunteering can help women rebuild both confidence and independence.

“Volunteering provides a renewed sense of purpose, builds job-ready skills, and fosters vital community connections,” she says. “These opportunities are a critical pathway to employment and to achieving financial independence and supporting their families.”

Housing is another critical part of reintegration. Without a safe place to live, it is much harder to find work, care for children, attend appointments or maintain stability.

Women leaving custody often face significant barriers to stable housing and financial security. Support with housing pathways, budgeting, advocacy, wellbeing and independent living skills can reduce those risks and give women a stronger foundation.

Nicole Yade, CEO of Women and Girls Emergency Centre, says early investment helps women build safer lives beyond prison.

“Women leaving custody face significant barriers to stable housing and financial security,” she says. “By investing early we can support women, including mothers, to build safer futures beyond prison.”

Family connection also matters.

For mothers in custody, separation from children can be one of the most painful consequences of imprisonment. Programs that support parenting, social and emotional wellbeing and family relationships can help women prepare for reconnection where it is safe and appropriate.

Young people in the justice system also need support that builds confidence, social skills and practical life skills before they return to the community. Many have experienced hardship and may not have had consistent adult guidance.

Julie Hourigan, CEO of SHINE for Kids, says this kind of support can give young people “a stronger foundation to build on when they return to the community”.

The broader lesson is that reintegration is community work.

Government funding matters, but long-term change depends on partnerships between correctional services, specialist community organisations, employers, housing providers, families and local communities. Each has a role to play in helping women move from survival to stability.

Minister for Women Jodie Harrison has described incarceration as having “lifelong negative impacts on women, as well as their children”. That is why the response must look beyond release and focus on rebuilding lives.

Supporting women leaving custody is not only about reducing reoffending. It is about safety, dignity, opportunity and prevention.

When women are supported to find housing, reconnect with family, build skills and contribute to community, the benefits extend well beyond one person. Children are safer. Families are stronger. Communities are better protected.

The goal should not be simply to help women leave custody.

It should be to help them build lives they do not have to return from.