As an artist, sculptor and writer, Bandyup Women’s Prison Recreation Officer Steve finds plenty of scope to share his creativity at work.
“I would definitely recommend a VSO job to anyone looking for a change of career,” Steve said. “The fact that I’ve been here for 22 years tells you that it’s satisfying and rewarding.
“Despite the set procedures and processes you’d expect in a prison, there’s a lot of variety and no way you could get bored. Having a changing population brings different challenges all the time and every day is different.”
As coordinator of all the recreation activities at the prison Steve synchronises general recreation with arts, pilates, gym, yoga, sports and song-writing sessions.
He also organises in-prison events to mark NAIDOC and National Reconciliation Weeks, employment expos, Christmas parties for the prisoners and their families and family days where children have the opportunity to do arts and crafts with their mothers.
“As children, many prisoners have had bad experiences in the classroom,” Steve said.
“Offering art activities can provide inmates with a positive experience in a classroom for the first time in their lives – and that is great for their self-esteem.
“As a VSO, I often have the opportunity to provide one-on-one direction in creative activities and I promote an awareness of the broader world of art and literature – opening up possibilities of further education. Art is definitely a gateway to learning.”
One of the prisoners Steve is mentoring is completing a university Arts degree while others contribute to exhibitions at the Fremantle Prison Gallery. He said he just happens to have some superstar artists in the prison at the moment, which makes for an exciting working environment, with murals and paintings in progress.
“The women’s prisons are very different from the men’s,” Steve said. “Women are the hub of the family and if you educate the women you empower the whole family.
“As a VSO you can make a difference not to just one prisoner, but to their family as well.”
