Eleni Psillakis still recalls the visceral pain of hitting rock bottom.
Sitting on her bed in a cell at the start of her 11-month sentence at the Dillwynia Correctional Facility for women, she considered ways to die. “I didn’t want to live. I sat in my cell, thinking maybe I can starve myself to death. That would be easy for me to do,” she tells SBS Voices.
A studious, obedient eldest child of four from a strict, traditional Greek immigrant family from Sydney’s Northern Beaches, her life had spiralled out of control after years plagued by an eating disorder and mental health issues around self-worth and value.
“If you had told me in my late teens and my early 20s that this was going to happen… This was not anything I had planned or envisioned or had on my bucket list for my life.”
Now a program manager for the Success Works program at Dress for Success – a not-for-profit Sydney service that helps women get back into work after prison - Psillakis features as one of a dedicated number of social service workers supporting former prisoners in the upcoming SBS series, Life on the Outside.
Eleni with Life on the Outside series participant Sierra. Source: Supplied
Based on a US program, it is a bold experiment in breaking the cycle of recidivism that sees nearly one in two people in Australia’s prison population go back to jail within the first two years of being released.
Among the participants navigating the often treacherous currents of post-incarceration life is single mum Sierra, and aspiring house painter Jeremy. The newly-released are matched with host families for 100 days, living in their homes and sharing their lives.
Their stories and histories cast a sobering light on how quickly lives can go off track, the difficulties of rebuilding lives post-sentence, to, most promisingly, the possibility of change and redemption.
That last chapter is the trickiest aspect of the journey, Psillakis says. People deserve a second chance, but are often derailed by the stigma of incarceration itself – a pervasive, stubborn stain that casts a long shadow when it comes to gaining employment, accommodation and acceptance in the mainstream community.
Add to this the fact that up to 90 per cent of incarcerated women have been physically, sexually or emotionally abused as children or adults, and around a third of those who leave prison are released into homelessness.
Stable, safe shelter is particularly critical for the newly released, she says. “I’ve heard from one of my colleagues that some of the women she knows who were incarcerated have even gone as far as going onto Tinder the first night they are released to get a place to stay.
Eleni Psillakis Source: Supplied
“In 2019, 900 women were released from prison into homelessness. The public wait list for housing is 10 years long. We need more housing in the greater Sydney area because that’s where the support services are, and we need different pathways to housing than the usual NSW Housing route because it’s not working.”
In Life on the Outside, you can see the power of providing a safe, accepting, family-style environment for the newly released, she says.
“What the program does is highlight the struggles that people face upon release, and not just how we can create housing opportunities but also how to educate the community at large as to why some people might re-offend. The family setting, the support they get from a case worker – it’s just so fantastic to have that for a period of time.”
Housing is not the only vital anchor.
One of the most emotional scenes in the show comes when Sierra, sees her reflection after trying on some new work clothes at Dress for Success. Her face lights up, shoulders straighten imperceptibly. Psillakis, sitting nearby, watches with a proud smile. “You see the change, the sense of self-belief.”
Women with a prison record face a bigger burden than their male peers, particularly from employers, Psillakis says. A professional wardrobe acts like psychological armour, boosting confidence and self-worth.
Psillakis also oversees services such as resume-writing, interview skills, and advocating for women in job interviews.
“They’ve served their time. If the offence has nothing to do with the role, why not give them a chance?”
She is proud of what Success Works, only three years old, offers. “I believe we are the first of our kind in Australia for women with a record. We have had 103 women touch base…and 59 of them we have supported into employment.”
The three-part documentary series Life on the Outside premieres Wednesday 16 March at 8:30pm on SBS and SBS On Demand.
If you or someone you know is experiencing family violence or sexual assault phone 1800RESPECT/1800 737 732 or visit 1800respect.org.au. For counselling, advice and support for men who have anger, relationship or parenting issues, call the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit ntv.org.au.
For 24/7 crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14
