ReVive prison program helps women break the cycle of addiction and crime

At a large recycling facility in Sydney’s west, Cindy Dumbrell – clad in a helmet, mask and high-vis – leads a team through a waste sorting machine.

The 40-year-old made a big impression at her first job, quickly rising from waste collector to operating machinery at the landfill.

It can be a tough and demanding job, but for Ms Dumbrell it has been a lifesaver.

Twelve months ago, Mrs. Dumbrell was in jail. She spent the past decade in and out of the system.

The mother-of-six, from Wreck Bay – an Aboriginal village on the NSW south coast – struggled with addiction and homelessness.

It all came to a head when she suffered a near-fatal overdose.

“I was in a different state, with no one around, and I just got that message from one of my kids saying, ‘Mom, is it true? I heard you’re dead,'” she said.

“I was acting like I was, and my kids — who I hadn’t seen in years — were still texting to see if I was okay.”

Fought to stay clean

This was the moment everything changed for Mrs. Dumbrell. The following week she went back to prison and fought to stay there until she was clean.

She admits the next steps were difficult, but once she reached out and found the right services, it was “amazing.”

Ms Dumbrell moved to the Bolwara Transitional Centre, which provides support to female offenders – particularly First Nations women – who are nearing release.

Here she heard about a prison release program.

Ms Dumbrell was determined to get an interview and within a week she was sitting down with the directors.

“But once I sat with the guys for about five minutes, I felt comfortable…I told them my story and they said they would get back to me.”

Within two weeks she was on site at one of the largest mixed waste recycling facilities in the country and has never looked back.

The program aims to break the cycle

Ms. Dumbrell is part of the ReVive prison release program.

It is run by Djurwa, a joint venture between Yalagan Group Training – an indigenous training and recruitment company – and Bingo Industries.

The aim is to break the cycle of recidivism by offering employment to Indigenous offenders during their final months of incarceration and after their release.

“Starting the job from prison was a bit of a ‘how do you do’ with an ankle bracelet,” Ms Dumbrell said.

“I didn’t know whether to say something or not, and when I found out that a few people knew, I started to feel more comfortable.

“I love it here at Bingo.”

The program provides candidates with certification and ongoing support throughout the 12 to 18 month placement.

‘Leave their old lives behind them’

Natalie Davies works directly with candidates as Bingo’s Indigenous Employment Manager, it’s a role she describes as “like a big sister, a little sister”.

“I help them adjust at work, but also during the week and on weekends,” she says.

“They are leaving their old lives behind, so the challenge is loneliness on the weekends, trying to develop new hobbies and activities… figuring out what they enjoy again and pursuing a healthy lifestyle.”

As of March, there were 349 Aboriginal women in prisons in NSW.

It is an increase of 11.5 percent from two years ago and represents more than a third of all female prisoners in the state.

‘It is a very difficult transition’

Eddy Hazem is Yalagan’s national group training manager and said offering long-term employment and end-to-end support to offenders was crucial to prevent “them from falling back into bad habits”.

He said Yalagan is taking on the risk of hiring new employees.

“We go to the host employers and say all we need from you is to give them an opportunity,” he said.

The program received its first group of candidates last year. Of the seven that started, three remain.

Djurwa director and Yalagan founder Nathan Martin said while it has proven successful, more employers are needed to hire more candidates.

“I want all the other layers in this space to look at what we’re doing and replicate it, because there are so many people who could benefit from this opportunity,” he said.

He said hearing about Ms. Dumbrell’s success makes his job worthwhile.

“That’s what it’s all about, you know,” he said.

‘I now look ahead, to the future’

Today, Mrs. Dumbrell rents her own home, has her driver’s license and is trying to rebuild her relationship with her six sons.

“It’s amazing to be able to say I love you every day, after ten years of doing virtually nothing, broken promises from me… yeah, it’s just killing me,” she said.

She will complete her Certificate III in Waste Management in February.

“I’m now looking forward to the future,” she said.

“Everyone is so proud of me… it’s like I never went (to prison).

“If I can do it, all the girls can do it too.”