Sisters Inside is an Australian registered charity which supports and advocates for criminalised women and girls and their children. It is based in Queensland, with offices in Brisbane and Townsville.[1][2]
| Founder | Debbie Kilroy |
|---|---|
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Legal status | Charity |
| Website | sistersinside |
The human rights activist and lawyer Debbie Kilroy is the founder and CEO of the organisation.[3][4]
Sisters Inside describes itself as a grassroots organisation run by criminalised women for the benefit of "all of us inside".[4] In its advocacy work, it calls for decarceration and prison abolition. The daily work of the organisation focuses on providing support to incarcerated and criminalised women, with a focus on supporting First Nations women.[4]
History
editSisters Inside's founder Debbie Kilroy has a long history of experience with the criminal justice system and incarceration, starting at the age of 13. She began her advocacy work in the early 1990s while incarcerated as part of a prisoners' committee. Upon her release on parole in 1992 she formed Sisters Inside with other women.[4][5]
In 2019, Sisters Inside started a campaign called #FreeHer raising funds to pay fines of Aboriginal women in Western Australia who were imprisoned or at risk of imprisonment for non-payment of fines. The campaign received support from celebrities including Yael Stone and Russell Crowe. By June 2019, it had raised $400,000.[6][7]
References
edit- ^ "Sisters Inside Inc". Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ "Sisters Inside". Queensland Sexual Assault Network. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ Shrivell, Denise (9 March 2020). "How Debbie Kilroy achieves change for women and girls in the criminal legal system". Women's Agenda. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d Keenan, Claire (4 June 2022). "How Sisters Inside Is Shaking Up The Prison System In Australia". Junkee. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ Gregoire, Paul (21 December 2021). "Imagining Prison Abolition Is Not Difficult, Says Sisters Inside's Debbie Kilroy". Sydney Criminal Lawyers. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ Olsson, Kristina (9 August 2019). "From little things". Inside Story. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ Griffiths, Emma (3 June 2019). "Anti-jail campaigner Debbie Kilroy's push to stop women being imprisoned for unpaid fines". ABC News. Retrieved 1 April 2024.