Michael Mayne believes that a fundamental way the justice system can better support people exiting prison is to make good on their promises. Michael was promised he would be supported with housing upon exiting prison, but he was left high, dry and homeless. Michael was left to turn to rooming house accommodation which was full of people abusing substances. It wasn't a safe place for Michael to try and get his life on track. He eventually found housing elsewhere and is now flourishing.
Michael's life has flourished since joining the self-advocacy group, Voices for Change, a group of peers who identified a need for their own group. They began in 2019. Voices for Change members have all had experience with the criminal justice system and all have an acquired brain injury as a consequence of a number of common causes. Michael would like to share with the conference attendees his strong belief in the transformative power of group work and his testament to the acceptance he feels in society, along with the powerful communication skills he has developed which are educating people about disability and justice and how people can flourish when they are supported.
Presenters
Michael Mayne
– Member, Voices for Change
Michael Mayne was a self-described ‘career criminal’, beginning his brushes with the criminal justice system at age 13 when he was picked up for riding motorbikes without a helmet. Michael spent decades in and out of Victoria’s penitentiaries, including the notorious, Pentridge Prison, which he says just made his crimes get worse. He taught himself to read and write in prison. In the last number of years, Michael has been diagnosed with cancer. He is now in remission. During this period, Michael learned that he had an acquired brain injury, possibly due to his brain tumors or repeated drug overdoses over the course of his life. Michael is now a passionate founding member of Voices for Change, a self-advocacy group of peers with acquired brain injury and contact with the criminal justice system. The group is routinely invited to engage with the broader justice, disability and health sector to share their lived experience expertise to make systems better for their peers.
