Jenny’s Story
Expelled from school at 13, and in and out of the justice system, Jenny took her second chance and changed her life for the better.
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Expelled from school at 13, and in and out of the justice system, Jenny took her second chance and changed her life for the better.
“I stayed on the wrong path for so long, to thinking, that was just the way my life was meant to turn out, I thought.”
“It was third year I got expelled from school, and there was no discussion about me going back, because I just wasn’t interested anyway at the time. I was getting into trouble, maybe once or twice a year with the police.”
“The system always says they’re want to rehabilitate people, so if they’re going to rehabilitate people, they need to accept people from all walks of life. I got a BA Honours degree in Criminal Justice, and it really did open my eyes to a whole lot of things.”
“The prison system, you kinda hear stories from people I know who have been in jail, and then the other side of it, so it’s interesting to know the two sides of how that goes. A lot of the young ones on that course, they were going on to do law courses, but obviously I’ve got a record, so I didn’t think I’d get into anything like that, so thought a support worker’s the best, maybe. I just want to help people who have been through similar experiences to me.”
“If the problem’s not solved, what’s in their head, or why they’re acting the way they are, like, it’s not going to get solved, just putting somebody in jail for a short time and then getting released. I believe in the support group, you need to work with a group for a while, and see if the worker can get any improvement out of the individual.”
“The one I go to, they put you onto all these activities, show you a better routine in your life. I do still think I’m in recovery, and I used to think that I’m the only one that’s having these problems. It’s not true at all, people just keep secrets, and don’t want the outside world knowing, but at the group, like, we all communicate with each other, we’re not ashamed to say we’ve messed up. Why not give people second chances to a certain extent and see if they can turn things around.”
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