Earning her degree as a dietician in India, Neha initially found it difficult to find employment after migrating to Australia and wasn’t sure what to expect when she saw the Vocational Support Officer (VSO) role at Casuarina Prison’s Laundry advertised.
“I had no idea what prison was like but when I came here, I got a lot of support from my colleagues and management,” she said.
That was four and a half years ago and there have since been some changes in Neha’s life, which she says the job suits better than ever.
“Now I’m a mum so I found it really good for me because there’s flexibility with the shift work, it suits my personal life, and I can spend more time with my baby,” she said.
She said the leave entitlements don’t hurt, either.
“That attracts me – six weeks annual leave which is wonderful,” Neha joked. “You feel refreshed after six weeks.”
But the real job benefits go beyond work-life balance.
“I like coming to work because I meet prisoners and I know they want to get out and they don’t want to come back,” Neha said.
That’s where the importance of her work as a VSO really comes into play.
“Some of the men never worked outside prison in their whole life but when they come here, they learn different skills, like working on the machinery, they learn how to work in a team,” Neha explained.
“They gain confidence so when they get out, they can get a job and work in the community and I feel like I’ve done a little bit, played a little part, to make some changes in their life.”
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