When your time is up it should be up. Employment is one of the challenges that poses a barrier for women with a criminal record. Apart from providing work readiness, employability skills, linking to education and building resilience, we connect and advocate for our women direct to employment opportunities. There are challenges, but it is working!
Presenters
Eleni Psillakis never had experiencing prison on her bucket list. She describes this experience as her ‘unlearning’ of many unhealthy false beliefs that led to offending. Despite having an extensive professional history and the extensive work she did with a forensic psychologist to address the underlying reasons for offending before she was sentenced, post-release Eleni discovered that it was the criminal record that was seen by many as she tried to move forward and contribute to the community.
Since this experience, Eleni has woken every morning and gone to bed each night, knowing that she did not go through this for nothing and was meant to support women that have had contact with the legal system. She is grateful to Megan Etheridge, founder of Dress for Success Sydney, who saw her skills, strengths and passion and not the record.
Juanita Schaffa de Mauri came a loving supportive family with no previous involvement in the justice system. After meeting the wrong partner who introduced her to ice, she began a downward spiral into fraud, drug use and co-dependency which led to incarceration.
She became a client of the Success Works program, where she hoped to gain employment using her extensive experience and education. Through the program she was successful in doing so in the same industry she had worked in for over 20 years. Juanita thought her life was ruined by her actions but has managed to change direction through studying community services and is now employed on the Success Works program.
