Wests Tigers join prison inmates as part of the Kick Start rehabilitation program
The Wests Tigers may be having a hard time of it on the field, but off it they have been instrumental in changing the lives of prisoners as part of a revolutionary rehabilitation project.
Cydonee Mardon
@cydmardon
3 min read
July 22, 2023 - 5:00AM
The Sunday Telegraph
NRL footy players have found themselves behind bars mixing it with maximum security prisoners.
And they discovered they have a lot in common.
As West Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe points out, it’s no secret some of his players, and players across the league, have had “challenging” upbringings.
But it’s finding the right path – in their case footy – that shapes a future.
“The players have been able to demonstrate that positive decisions can set you on a certain path,” Pascoe said of their involvement in the Kick Start Program.
Captain Apisai Koroisau and other select players and club officials hit the footy field at Mid North Coast Correctional Centre, while other players stepped up to a burpee challenge against the inmates.
Most importantly though for the 14 maximum-security inmates was the five weeks of intensive therapeutic virtual sessions – with players, where they spoke candidly about mental health, addiction, their problems and their fears – that had the most impact.
Former rugby league player turned Corrective Services NSW industries officer Jim Murphy founded the program, inspired by his love of the sport, and his dedication to helping inmates turn their lives around.
“Some of the inmates were quite emotional talking about things they’d never spoken about before and the further we got into the program, I’ve never seen fellas become so happy and close,” Jim said.
The maximum security inmates got “a bit teary” speaking with the NRL players about “things from home that they haven’t spoken to anyone about before”.
“They told us they wanted to improve their lives and it’s our job to help get them on the right track so they don’t return to custody because we don’t want them to waste their life.”
Koroisau spoke about how they pushed through difficult moments in his own life and advice they’d give to young people tempted by crime.
Inmates said the interaction with the successful men of the league helped them find hope for life on the outside.
“We’ve appreciated a space of free speech where we didn’t feel uncomfortable talking about our innermost secrets, our past, family or things we’re scared of or vulnerable to,” one inmate said.
“Sport is a great thing because it takes you to another place. Seeing the sportsmen like we have, talking to them about how they deal with their problems, it’s been inspiring,” another said.
“An inmate who was always in trouble is coming along in leaps and bounds. He’s not getting any bad case notes like he was in the past,” he said.
Services and programs officer Lisa Brown said learning skills from other people who are in high-pressure environments gave the inmates an insight into different ways others manage their own mental health and wellbeing.
“We used the analogy of sport in the sessions: when you’re 10 points down and it’s five minutes to the end of the match, you’ve got to find resilience. The inmates learned when you’re having a bad day, you can dig deep and you can push through.”
CSNSW Commissioner Kevin Corcoran said harnessing the power of sport helped inmates learn and build on the skills they need to lead healthier, crime-free lives when they’re released.
“The inmates have learned how to regulate emotions, communicate better, and to think before acting – skills that will help them in the future, and ultimately keep our communities safer,” Mr Corcoran said.
The Wests Tigers donated jerseys for the inmates to wear during the program.
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