Contents:
Don't let her see you cry. I can't let her see me cry, I implored myself over and over, like a mantra to the gate. These useless words pounded round and round in my head as I tried to act like nothing unusual was going on' p. Her journey through prison and to a life without drugs is not smooth.
Yet, in the course of her imprisonment she also is able to form a network of support and with the help of remarkable instructors she returns to education.
After leaving prison, Helen becomes a registered psychologist and drug counsellor. Helen was also successful in achieving a writer's fellowship from the Australia Council for the Arts that enabled her to undertake the autobiography.
The book is well written and moving. It contains many stories of courage and bravery, from the everyday struggles of women inmates through to a small band of dedicated individuals in Helen's family, kin networks and the prison system whose support enabled her to chart a new life course.
Of particular importance were her brother, teachers, and of course her daughter. The support available to Helen, stands in stark contrast to her fellow inmates whose lives end tragically from suicide, murder or drug overdoses. A number of these deaths occurred in the immediate post-release period reflecting the high rates of death amongst recently released women. Indeed, these women die at three times the rate of their male counterparts.
Don't let me cry ttak haru doragal su ittdamyeon geu nallo na sal su ittdamyeon neol apeuge han malgwa haengdong doedollil su ittdamyeon neol deol oeropge . Baby, I can see you now but. I feel you like I feel myself. Don't let me cry. Baby, I know that you just mean you are going to a better life. Don't let me cry.
This book is timely. It provides a human face to the imprisonment rates that continue to soar throughout the western world. Helen's focus on her relationship with her child also brings to the forefront the neglect of parents in prison and their families. International evidence shows that the majority of prisoners are parents.
The continued neglect of the support needs of prisoners as parents is deleterious for children and for inmates. Additionally the loss of family ties is associated with increased risk of recidivism. The book is not an academic work or a policy paper.
Instead, it gives unique insights into one woman's experience of crime and punishment. The importance of this book as a document in understanding the human side of the prison system cannot be overstated. Helen's descent is slow and throughout the first part of her story there is a sense that if only there had been a pathway out she could have taken it.
Her family background while modest and difficult, was not the story of extreme deprivation and abuse that characterises the lives of so many in the prison system. Perhaps, this difference provides one clue as to why, unlike many of her fellow inmates, she was able eventually to find the resources to embark on a different life course.
By the time Helen has her first hit of heroin, her path is set, as she writes: It was different to LSD, alcohol, marijuana, hash or speed.
It was like the best feeling I'd ever experienced Helen vividly describes her alienation from the 'straight' world and her entrapment in an abusive relationship with a drug dealer. This makes compelling reading.
No doubt Helen was involved in illegal activity, including drug importation. Ironically, it seems she was innocent of the drug possession charges for which she was imprisoned.
Helen discovers her pregnancy while in prison on remand. From the birth of her child her life begins to take a different course. With the support of high profile advocates she is successful in lobbying for her infant daughter to stay with her in prison. Don't let her see you cry. I can't let her see me cry, I implored myself over and over, like a mantra to the gate. These useless words pounded round and round in my head as I tried to act like nothing unusual was going on' p.
Her journey through prison and to a life without drugs is not smooth. Yet, in the course of her imprisonment she also is able to form a network of support and with the help of remarkable instructors she returns to education.
After leaving prison, Helen becomes a registered psychologist and drug counsellor. Helen was also successful in achieving a writer's fellowship from the Australia Council for the Arts that enabled her to undertake the autobiography.
This book is timely. Find your local bookstore at booksellers. With the support of high profile advocates she is successful in lobbying for her infant daughter to stay with her in prison. Also we collected some tips and tricks for you: Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows. I can't let her see me cry, I implored myself over and over, like a mantra to the gate.
The book is well written and moving. It contains many stories of courage and bravery, from the everyday struggles of women inmates through to a small band of dedicated individuals in Helen's family, kin networks and the prison system whose support enabled her to chart a new life course.