The first edition of About Time was published and distributed in all prisons in Victoria, NSW, Tasmania and the ACT in the first week of July. Our aim is for the paper to be distributed monthly to all incarcerated people across Australia free of charge. We have not yet received approval from the corrections departments in Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, but we hope they will join us soon.
About Time will also be freely available online, and available in print to people outside prison through a subscription.
People incarcerated in Australia have little or no access to the internet, few news sources, and limited opportunities for self-expression.
About Time seeks to provide these people with a voice. It is a platform for news and education, expression and hope.
About Time will be written primarily by current and formerly incarcerated people.
The paper will be independent from Corrections authorities and is published by the recently established non-profit About Time Media Ltd. The charity possesses deductible gift-recipient status, and so the paper will be primarily funded by donations. We also aim to have advertising opportunities for other charities and legal services.
About Time Media Ltd is represented by writers and advocates from across Australia. These individuals include people who have been incarcerated and First Nations representation.
Ike Curtis
About Time dedicates 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.
About Time publishes news articles and investigative pieces, which are topical stories that will often be focused on prisons and criminal justice.
The paper will include several features about individuals' experiences with the criminal justice system.
About Time keeps readers informed about the latest in sport, media and the arts.
Each edition will include information that will help people inside stay physically and mentally healthy. This includes exercise programs, mindfulness training and useful recipes.
About Time 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.
About Time includes material dedicated to the unique experience of First Nations people and their interaction with the criminal justice system.
About Time will create educational content to assist readers preparing for the outside, relying on the expertise of relevant organisations.
The paper will publish creative contributions from incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people. This includes short-stories, poetry, creative non-fiction and art.
The paper will also include jokes, cartoons, puzzles and a monthly quiz.
If you would like to contribute to any of the sections of our paper, or if you would like to correspond with us or provide comments,
please write to us at:
Or email:
We want to work with community and people who have been imprisoned or criminalised so that we make something that is useful and valuable for incarcerated people. If you have ideas for how to improve the paper, including any different sections of the paper or anyone we should reach out to, please email us at:
Help us get About Time off the ground. All donations are tax deductible and will be vital in providing an essential resource for people in prison and their loved ones.
About Time Media acknowledges the traditional owners of the lands across Australia and particularly acknowledges the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation, traditional owners of the land on which About Time Media is based.
We acknowledge the continuing impacts of the criminal legal system on First Nations people, including disproportionate rates of incarceration and deaths in custody, which remain a national shame.
We pay deep respect to Elders past and present, and all families of those who have lost loved ones in prison.
© About Time Media Ltd.
Your browser window currently does not have enough height, or is zoomed in too far to view our website content correctly. Once the window reaches the minimum required height or zoom percentage, the content will display automatically.
Alternatively, you can learn more via the links below.