Since 2015 Robert Henderson has been visiting correctional centres in southern Queensland, developing relationships with not just the men who are serving time but also the staff and management of the prisons. Robert has the ability to move within the centres and meet with them men opportunistically, to sit with them and to develop relationships that reach beyond the walls and into community. These relationships are what underpin the success of the work of the foundation and what facilitates men remaining in contact well after release.
The successes of the men, their families and communities are our measure of success. We are able to make informed assessments around what options for post release employment or training are viable because of the relationships we build while the men are still serving their sentences.
A priority of the foundation is to attend to reducing the presence of unresolved grief in the target demographic by, where possible, facilitating prisoners’ transport to and from the funerals of deceased family members. The positive attitudinal impact on mindset and behaviour that attendance to cultural protocols of this programme has far reaching benefits to families, community and in no small way on the culture within correction centres, affecting staff as well as inmates.