JUST over six months ago, Kerry Tucker was serving time at Dame Phyllis Frost Prison in Deer Park.
At the Melbourne County Court in October 2004, she pleaded guilty and was convicted of four counts of theft and one of obtaining property by deception.
From the outset, she expressed remorse for her actions and the damage she had inflicted on the community, but was prepared to face the consequences. She was sentenced to seven years' jail with a non-parole period of 4 years.
However, an incident on the first day of her two years on remand at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre changed her life.
''A group of inmates were picking on this woman who was obviously a first-timer,'' she said. ''A short time later, she was found in her room where she had slashed her wrists.
''It was about the strong looking after the weak, and from that moment, I took on a leadership role on behalf of inmates.''
On Saturday, the Crossroads Uniting Church in Werribee hosted its first restorative justice workshop, which focused on working towards a form of justice to return a sense of wholeness to everybody - victims, offenders and the community - affected by crime.
The event was organised by the church's Synod of Victoria and Tasmania's Commission for Mission. Werribee is one of the suburbs in the Port Phillip West Presbytery, which has six prisons, including remand and assessment centres, within its boundaries.
Former prisoners, prison chaplains and representatives of the church and its welfare agency, UnitingCare, attended. The workshop is part of the Communal Justice Project, instigated by the Commission for Mission and the church's prison chaplains.
Ms Tucker became an advocate and would regularly speak with her fellow inmates at the maximum security prison, a role she continues on the outside.
She wrote inmates' parole letters and knew more about some prisoners than their own families did. ''In prison, I made a conscious decision that my life had to change because I had two young girls to come back to,'' Ms Tucker said.
''We had 12-minute phone calls, three times a week, so I listened to them grow up over the phone. Even now, I can tell if they have a problem just by the tone in their voice.''
Ms Tucker said with few post-release support services available to help prisoners reintegrate into society, many had little idea how to cope on the outside.
''They often have no family or car, and are without the simple things like Medicare or bank cards, because everything has been taken away.
''There were some women who would be released and you knew they would immediately reoffend because they had no family or secure accommodation.''
While behind bars, Ms Tucker was given permission to work at Wyndham Legal Service two days a week, and started studying for her master of arts at Swinburne University. She has since completed the first year of her PhD on women in prison from an observer's perspective, and lectures in media and communications. ''I want to be a voice for women in prison,'' she said.
Prison chaplain Jenny Hayes said social isolation was a major issue.
''When they [prisoners] are released, they have no rental history and a criminal record number, which is a major barrier.
''We're not asking criminals to give their lives to the church, but as a society, we need to recognise people might be sent to prison, but they don't cease to be one of us.''
Workshop organiser Cheryl Lawrie said the aim was to work towards developing a sense of unity.
''So much of the justice system is focused on separating people from one another, the forum was about bringing them back together.
''Punishment doesn't deliver justice, which doesn't mean people shouldn't be disciplined for their actions, it's saying there's a better way for us to respond rather than assuming prison will solve the problem.''