Moving in the right direction

14 April 2026

It’s hard enough to find somewhere to live when you have a steady income, solid rental history and strong references so imagine what it is like when you have just been released from a correctional centre after serving a long sentence and you have lost touch with family and friends. You don’t have recent rental history let alone a job, you can’t scrape together a bond, and all your worldly possessions fit inside a garbage bag.

This is the situation facing nearly half of all people released from NSW correctional centres every year, with almost 9,000 people at risk of homelessness or unstable accommodation immediately upon their release.

“A lot of men and women leave custody with no rental history, limited savings, no current job and little understanding of basic systems like banking or mobile phones,” Integration Support Centre Manager, Julie Bates said.

“Even those assessed as low risk often need extended transitional accommodation because securing private housing in the current market can be extremely difficult.”

 

Bridging a gap

It is this gap between release and stable housing that Integration Support Centre (ISC) helps address. Centres like the one managed by Julie in southwestern Sydney provide practical support as people transition from custody back into the community. Moving into an ISC is not an extension of a sentence; it is the beginning of successful reintegration.

“It’s a relaxed and safe environment for them,” Julie said.

“And this is what allows real change to happen. They don’t have to watch their backs; they can just worry about getting on with their lives.”

That stability is critical, particularly for people who may have spent decades in custody. While ISC provides a safe place to lay their head and get back on their feet, their role extends far beyond accommodation. Residents are supported to rebuild everyday life skills that were unnecessary or unavailable while serving a sentence.

Residents at ISC pay a boarding fee that contributes to the cost of food and utilities. They are otherwise responsible for managing their own expenses, including toiletries, medication, public transport, clothing and personal activities.

 

“We deal a lot with basic living skills – cooking, budgeting, personal hygiene, keeping their room tidy,” Julie said.

“These are life skills most people take for granted but we have to help people with taking responsibility and managing these tasks.”

Residents are also supported to rebuild personal connections and relationships, learning how to trust and talk to people without the fear or bravado they carry inside prison.

“They might come to us with false bravado from custody, but we slowly chip away at that so they can just be themselves,” Julie said.

“We sit and chat, maybe when they are outside by the yarning circle, or when they are cooking. These relaxed settings break down barriers, and you get to know the real person.”

Slow but steady changes

Changes in the residents at the centre rarely comes all at once. For Julie, progress is usually small and gradual, but still important.

“If I see the slightest bit of change in any of these guys, I just feel so proud as punch,” she said.

“That’s all we can ask for. It’s not going to be a light‑bulb moment.”

Sometimes that progress shows itself through difficult interactions.

“They might have a go at us, but they’ll come back and apologise,” Julie said.

“And I tell them, that’s fine, thank you very much. That acknowledgement of recognising when something wasn’t appropriate behaviour in the community is so important.”

Helping residents prepare for life after custody also means creating strong pathways into education, training and employment. At Julie’s centre, that support is built through close partnerships with external providers.

Julie and her team work closely with Global Skills and the Pathways to Employment in Custody program, allowing residents to stay connected to training and employment support as they transition back into the community.

“It’s all connected,” she said.

“We’ve had Pathways to Employment come out to our staff meetings so we can identify people in the community and plug them straight back in.”

Those partnerships often remove practical barriers that might otherwise prevent residents from taking up opportunities.

“They support them with training, and with practical things like paying for courses, clothing or transport. It’s been very beneficial.”

CSNSW currently operates four Diversionary and Reintegration Centres across the state, supporting men and women as they rebuild their lives in the community.