Tahlia Isaac

I think the argument is who we send there and what we're doing with them when they're there and how we support the whole of community once they're released.

Like there's lots of women who are victim survivors who don't want to go to court, who don't want their perpetrator to go missing.

to jail.

They don't want that.

But we never consider what the victim or the survivors in any kind of scenario want.

And then when they do go to prison, like when people do go to prison, they're not getting the resources and the support that they need because they're overcrowded with people who shouldn't be there.

And when I specifically talk about

you know, women, I'm talking about like driving offenses, I'm talking about shoplifting.

And I'm not saying that none of those things are not wrong.

They are a breach of our social contract.

But the point is, is that they're probably not punishable by incarceration.

Like if we're going to incarcerate somebody for driving without a license,

what are we teaching them, really?

Like, what are we doing to hold them accountable for doing that?

And then what resources are we giving them so that they don't get out and do it again?

And for women, the impacts are far beyond just the individual who's going to prison.

It's the kids.

It's, you know, the cousins because often women are caring across boundaries of family lines.

They're caring for the whole community.

It impacts our welfare systems.