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Beyond Bars

with Ashlee Donohue, Frances Drake, Tabitha Lean and Eleni Psillakis, moderated by Kirsten Gray

10 March 2024

In the Utzon Room

Sydney Opera House Presents

Talks and Ideas

What is the relationship between trauma and the chance of ending up in prison. Expert thinkers shed light on what life is really like behind bars and the long-term impact it has. 

Co-curated by Bri Lee

Being in prison is like being in a violent relationship.

Sisters Inside founder Debbie Kilroy

Justice and the gendered gaol

Our justice system is not working as it should. Over 90% of women in prison have faced domestic violence, sexual assault or abuse. One-third of women inside are on remand - which means they haven't yet been found guilty of a crime. First Nations women are over-represented in incarcerated populations. And then there's the issue of mothers and pregnant people behind bars.

The prison system is making many people suffer unnecessarily, and it's criminalising mental illness, homelessness, and poverty. So is abolition the answer? Or is the solution better funding for legal services? Could there be more support post-release? Join these expert thinkers in this agenda setting conversation.

Presented by Sydney Opera House

 

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