Vacro

Vacro Vacro supports people in contact with the criminal justice system and their families to create new beginnings and stronger communities.

Vacro's BlueSky is taking a short hiatus. In the meantime, you can continue to follow our advocacy, news and updates on LinkedIn, Facebook and via our website.
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‘Increasing failure’: First Nations deaths in custody at record levels More than three decades after the royal commission, calls are growing for the government to finally implement its recommendations, to stop the rising number of preventable deaths.

More First Nations people died in prison this year than in any within the decade scrutinised by the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody; the highest number of Indigenous deaths in custody since monitoring began in 1979/80.

Its recommendations have still not been implemented.

Our Second Chance Cycles program reopens tomorrow for 2026!

Second Chance Cycles operates on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10AM and 4PM (closed for lunch between 1 - 2 PM) and is located in the underground carpark opposite the public housing towers on Harmsworth Street in Collingwood.

Oceania's pre-trial/remand detention population has grown by 313% since 2000.

The latest World Pre-trial/Remand Imprisonment List attributes this to "the more than quadrupling of the numbers in Australia and the nearly six-fold increase in New Zealand.”

www.prisonstudies.org/news/more-th...

Huge thanks to Waverley Woodworkers for gifting 68 beautiful handmade wooden toys to us, and in turn to children with a parent in custody.

Check out their club and the wonderful things they get up to: mensshed.org/sheds/waverl...

Flinders awarded ARC funding to lead national effort on prisoner reintegration Nearly half of the 67,000 people released from prison each year return within two years, and the national correctional budget is projected to exceed $7 billion […]

Led by @flindersuniversity.bsky.social and partnering with expert reintegration services across the country including Vacro, the reintegration Centre of Excellence will adopt a strengths-based, First Nations-led and industry-engaged approach to supporting long-term social reintegration.

'Frightening': UN human rights team blocked from NT prisons and youth detention centres A United Nations working group has been barred from accessing youth prisons, detention centres, and watch houses in the NT.

The Northern Territory government has blocked the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention from visiting its prisons and watch houses, which were recently described as "inhumane" in an ombudsman's report.

Australia is the only country other than Rwanda to have had a UN visit terminated.

Second Chance Cycles will close for Christmas from Tuesday 23 December 2025 and will reopen on Tuesday 6 January 2026.

We thank all our participants, partners, supporters, mechanics, cyclists, and community members for donating, repairing, and riding our Second Chance Cycles away all year!

Victoria Police banned racial profiling a decade ago. Has it made a difference? Researchers said that in 2024, Aboriginal people were 15 times more likely to be searched by Victoria Police than white people.

Aboriginal people were 15 times more likely to be searched by Victoria Police officers than white people, but the 'hit rate' at which prohibited items were found was the same. People perceived as African - who were much less likely to be carrying contraband - were 9 times more likely to be searched

And if you or someone you know is in a position to contribute to this research and support children affected by parental arrest, contact details are in the flyer attached.

The Impact of Witnessing Parental Arrest on Children: A Scoping Review - Miaomiao He, Catherine Flynn, Susan Baidawi, 2025 The arrest of a parent can be a pivotal moment for their children. While providing opportunities to identify children in need, children may be placed at particu...

You can read more about Miaomiao's research, supervised by Catherine Flynn and Susan Baidawi, here (open access): journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

At Vacro, we understand the significant effects parental arrest can have on children and families. Our family programs are designed to support families dealing with the aftermath of arrest, and our Vision for Families in Contact with the Justice System called for an overhaul of parental arrest:

Last week we had the opportunity to hear from @monashuniversity.bsky.social PhD candidate Miaomiao He who presented on the profound implications for children of witnessing parental arrest, including emotional distress, trauma symptoms, developmental delays, and disrupted family systems.

Our final All Staff Day for 2025 at the Koorie Heritage Trust was a valuable day of connection and learning. On these days we bring together staff from all across the state. As one regional staff member reflected, it's "nice to be reminded of the great 'the whole team matters' attitude Vacro has."

Prisons boss lays bare ‘impossible situation’ of overcrowding caused by bail reforms A magistrate ordered prison bosses and police to court to explain why an Indigenous woman had missed two hearings.

Impossible, or utterly predictable?

No one can plead ignorance: everyone knew this would happen. Everyone knows that you cannot tighten bail laws without a structural commitment to reduce remand overall. This is what happens when you ignore evidence and expert advice:

The trap of Florida’s prison food For-profit deals between prisons and private fast food companies force incarcerated people to pay for their own poor health

Profiteering contracts between prisons and private food corporations are commonplace across the US prison system, and they are starting to creep into ours.

From inside a prison in Florida, read one man's story about paying for his own poor health (via @prismreports.org)

Cleveland Dodd died in youth detention. Justice system 'deficiencies' are to blame The WA Coroner issued a range of recommendations, among them was the closure of the notorious youth detention facility, Unit 18.

The WA Coroner said Unit 18 should be closed "as a matter of urgency."

Kiki was told she couldn't vote in prison, now she's debunking that myth There are a lot of misconceptions about voting, particularly among marginalised groups. But these "democracy ambassadors" are working hard to ensure everyone knows their rights.

As proud contributors to the Victorian Electoral Commission's democracy ambassadors program, we love being part of this growth in enfranchisement across the prison system.

As Kiki says here, "When people feel counted, they act like citizens. When they act like citizens, communities become safer."

"Prison might be part of her story — but it is never the whole story."

This Keeps Women Out of Prison shares findings from the first 18 months of the Women and Girls Emergency Centre’s From Now program, which supports women as they transition from prison back into community in NSW.

Read it here:

The December issue of @Paper Chained is out now, full of art, writing, reviews, interviews and more, directly by, from, and for people impacted by the justice system.

Read and download the issue for free here: www.paperchained.com/post/issue-2...

Alternative First Responders - Join the call for care, not force.

Vacro is a signatory to the @njpjustice.bsky.social Alternative First Responders campaign and we join the call for centring community and care over policing:

In their darkest moments, too many Australians are being met with lethal force instead of love and care | Lorena Allam Police are often not equipped to deal with mental health callouts. Alternative first responders are better placed to de-escalate tension and reduce harm

"A NSW police internal review in 2024 found that officers attending mental health incidents are often 'an escalating factor' and it would be better if experts were deployed instead."

Research Our work is based on evidence, informed by best practice, and responds to the needs of the people we serve.

New research: in collaboration with the Australian Welfare and Work Lab at @unimelb.bsky.social, this study takes an in-depth look at Vacro’s holistic and relational approach to employment support for people exiting Victoria’s men’s prisons.

Read it here:

Read more about the platform that guides our 2025-9 Advocacy Strategy: www.vacro.org.au/policy
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date with our advocacy work: www.vacro.org.au/newsletter

For the next four years we’ll be advocating for changes that help people caught in the justice system strengthen their connection to their families and communities, get access to the resources they need, and live lives that have purpose and meaning in places they belong.

Franceyne from Vacro Today on Brainwaves, we’re joined by Franceyne from Vacro to discuss mental health and imprisonment, including the criminalisation of mental health, support in prison, and the reintegration journey fo...

Our ED of Programs Franceyne was a guest on @3crmelbourne.bsky.social's Brainwaves program yesterday.

She explored how Vacro supports mental health as a crucial part of the reintegration journey, given the criminalisation of mental illness and barriers to mental health support in prison:

Listen to this beautiful song written many years ago by a woman who spent time incarcerated and in secure care. An ode to the reintegration journey: one filled with forgiveness, transformation, and renewal.

Connecting Stories Beyond Bars - YouTube [FR/ES/PT/EN] Quel impact a l'incarcération d'un.e proche ? 🎥 Lier les récits au-delà des barreaux - l'impact invisible de la prison sur les proches est une ...

Check out the new six-part docuseries from @prisoninsider.bsky.social telling the stories of families affected by the incarceration of a loved one in six countries:

Connecting Stories Beyond Bars empowers and amplifies the voices of these families as advocates for change.

Doctors warn mental health reforms needed to keep children out of prison As incarceration rates continue to soar in the Northern Territory, experts say mental health reform in the justice system is crucial for improving community safety in the long term.

"Children who are healthy, housed, educated, connected to family and their culture, don't engage in serious reoffending," Dr Zorbas said.