When she went to jail, Alisha’s baby was a newborn. Nothing prepared her for the struggle

For decades, TV shows such as Prisoner, Wentworth and Orange Is the New Black have perpetuated a stereotype of incarcerated women, portraying them as violent, dangerous and corrupt. Yet for many of the thousands of women in custody across Australia, the reality is far different.

“In Victoria, women are most often incarcerated for lower-level, non-violent offences rather than serious crimes,” says Amelia Pickering, CEO of Prison Network, a Victorian support group for women in and beyond prison. “Many enter the prison system due to property-related and drug-related charges, which frequently reflect the pressures of poverty, unstable housing and substance dependence.”

While incarceration can be challenging, the hardest part is often when prisoners are released and face issues with housing, employment and relationships. “After doing everything asked of them – serving their sentence and working on their recovery – they return to the community more vulnerable than when they went in,” Pickering says.

There is also a stigma that can be hard to shake. “They’re often seen as ‘bad mothers’, ‘unstable’ or ‘unemployable’, and are judged more harshly than men, especially when children are involved,” Pickering adds.

Here, three formerly incarcerated women share the journey of rebuilding their lives after release.

“Prior to incarceration, I was drinking daily, tackling built-up childhood trauma and struggling in a household affected by substance abuse and family violence. I am also neurodivergent, with AuDHD [autism and ADHD] and couldn’t manage my mental health or regulate my emotions properly.

In 2022, after my arrest, I spent four months on remand and was bailed to Bunjilwarra Rehab [a Koorie youth alcohol and drug service in Victoria], a healing space for mob [Fagan is a proud Wadawurrung woman], where I spent six months, plus a 12-week rehab program. We went on bush tours and I was able to connect with my culture on Country, away from outside influence.

I spent almost two years on bail while awaiting sentencing, which was delayed due to COVID-19. Within that time, I fell pregnant. In 2023, I was sentenced to 2½ years. My daughter was six weeks old when I entered the prison gates, pushing her in the stroller.

While mothers in prison reside in open units [not cells], with access to a kitchen and bathrooms and all the equipment needed for parenting, being a first-time mum raising a child in a maximum-security prison is a struggle no postpartum or pregnancy book can prepare you for.

When I entered, I was in protective mum mode. I thought I knew prisoners from