Peter Carrodus won’t forget how confronting his first visit to a prison was. “The regimentation, the social isolation, the guards…it was all really quite shocking,” he recalls.
That was more than a decade ago, when Peter first volunteered with Jesuit Social Services’ African Visitation and Mentoring Program (AVAMP). Seeing his mentees grow has kept him coming back all these years.
“Once I sat down with my mentee, I just realised that the most important thing was to never be judgmental. I was there to listen, to share a bit about my background, and to give them a space to share their own histories too.” .
AVAMP matches people of African background who are in prison with a mentor to support them through their sentence and after release. Through one-on-one sessions, mentors offer ongoing practical support. They also help participants reconnect with positive relationships and services that help them in their transition out of the justice system.
Peter was initially drawn to AVAMP as a way to give back to the community and to hear stories of experiences that went beyond his own growing up in Australia. His first mentee was from the Congo, his second from Sudan. Both had incredibly difficult pasts.
His first mentee, whom he visits three to four times a year, has faced immense challenges and arrived in Australia without knowing any English.
“Now we talk about what books and poetry he’s reading. We talk about everything—his life before coming here, his experiences in prison, his relationship with his family…he looks forward to our talks, and I do as well."
AVAMP Volunteer Mentor
Many people in the justice system experience deep social isolation. As Fr John Brosnan, former Victorian prison chaplain for nearly 30 years, once said, “Three things I have noted are needed by someone leaving prison: a place to live that is decent, a job they can handle, and lastly, and most important of all, friendship.”
That’s where AVAMP steps in. It ensures participants have someone to talk to, someone to encourage them, and someone who sees them as more than their past.
Having this connection with someone out in the community, who has chosen to spend time with them, can make reintegration into the community that little bit easier.
