Dreaming Inside
The South Coast Writers Centre (SCWC) is a non-for-profit organisation based in Wollongong. They offer a series of workshops, memberships, editing services and "the Centre aims to promote regional writers and writing in Australia while fostering creative and professional development for South Coast writers."
One of their most widely recognised programs is the 'Black Wallaby Indigenous Writers Program', which aids in the development and publication of Aboriginal voices. One project included within the "Black Wallaby' program is the 'Dreaming Inside' project, where SCWC workers and interns work with Junee Correctional Centre twice a year to create an an annual publication.
The program increases education and literacy among indigenous inmates, encouraging them to develop skills and as a way to express themselves creatively.
The following images are a collection of pieces written by the inmates and published in the five volumes of 'Dreaming Inside.' They highlight the issues faced by incarcerated Indigenous men that contribute to high rates of suicide. Factors contributing to the high suicide rates of Australia's Aboriginal men include; high incarceration rates, drug and alcohol abuse/ dependency, separation from land, culture and family, the Stolen Generation, Unemployment, low education levels and high levels of abuse.
