'Belonging to family' is an Aboriginal cultural program run by Shine for Kids at the Mid North Coast Correctional centre in Kempsey. It aims to build strong relationships between prisoners and their children.
42-year-old Terrence Smith says it's changed his life.
“This program helped me do a lot. It helped me rethink what I done wrong in my time. It got me off the alcohol, the drugs and now I'm trying to give away the smoking.”
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Many children with parents in the criminal justice system experience anxiety caused from separation, isolation and shame.
With almost 40,000 kids with a parent in jail in Australia, Shine for kids offers support to a number of families across the country.
CEO, Gloria Larman says, “They're sort of classified as the invisible victims of crime and they suffer a lot as a result of their parent's criminal activities. It's really important for kids to know who they're parents are and to be able to maintain a relationship with their parent because regardless of what their parents have done they're still their parent.”
Watch Living Black on NITV at 7.30 tonight for the full story.
