About Time, a national newspaper for Australian prisons and detention facilities, has launched its first edition in all prisons in Victoria, NSW, Tasmania and the ACT in the first week of July.
The paper is independent of Corrections authorities and is published by the recently established non-profit About Time Media Ltd.
About Time will also be distributed monthly to all incarcerated people across Australia free of charge. The non-profit will have deductible gift-recipient status, meaning the paper will be primarily funded by donations.
The company states it also aims to have advertising opportunities for other charities and legal services.
The company has not yet received approval from the corrections departments in Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
About Time is written primarily by current and formerly incarcerated people, and the newspaper seeks to provide these people with a voice. A platform for news, education, expression and hope, categories of topics to appear in the paper will include:
• Letters: About Time will dedicate many of its pages to publishing incarcerated people’s letters. The letters can be reflective, advice-based, or profound, but they might also be writings about everyday life in prison. The paper also publishes letters from people outside prison, including family and friends, and people who were formerly imprisoned.
• News and Investigations: About Time publishes news articles and investigative pieces, which are topical stories that will often be focused on prisons and criminal justice.
• Experiences: The paper will include several features about individuals’ experiences with the criminal justice system.
• Culture: About Time will keep readers informed about the latest in sport, media and the arts.
• Health: Each edition will include information that will help people inside stay physically and mentally healthy. This includes exercise programs, mindfulness training and useful recipes.
• Legal Corner: About Time states it is conscious of the myths that circulate around prisons, and the shortage of available information inside. The paper will seek to alleviate these issues by publishing informative legal content to avail people in prison of their rights and opportunities.
• Mob: About Time includes material dedicated to the unique experience of First Nations people and their interaction with the criminal justice system.
• Reintegration: About Time will create educational content to assist readers in preparing for the outside, relying on the expertise of relevant organisations.
• Creative: The paper will publish creative contributions from incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people. This includes short-stories, poetry, creative non-fiction and art.
• Play: The paper will also include jokes, cartoons, puzzles and a monthly quiz.
About Time will be freely available online, and available in print to people outside prison through a subscription.