For inmates seeking parole facing the sentence administration board is a daunting prospect, even more so if you have to do it alone.
This is often the case in Canberra for detainees who cannot afford the legal costs. Legal Aid does not offer representations for parole hearings in the territory.
It was a gap Sinead Allen wanted to fill. The 26-year-old has started a pro bono parole program to provide legal advice and representation to all female detainees at the Alexander Maconochie Centre.
"It struck me as quite surprising the ACT doesn't offer anything because while it's a little less formal than an ordinary court process it is still a hearing," she said.
"[Detainees] go in and sit down in front of the service administration board and plead [their] case.
"Just having someone to make the women feel supported and comfortable and help guide them through the process has been a real positive thing as well."
A course in her final semester of law at the Australian National University spurred Ms Allen to start the program.
"I was lucky to have the opportunity to be involved with the ANU's prison literacy program in the last semester of my law degree," she said.
"A small group of students were placed with the women's cohort inside the AMC to provide legal education sessions on issues relevant to detainees, including parole.
"Whilst there are a number of important community organisations were already assisting the women with issues such as housing, debt, and family law, it quickly became apparent that there was a gap in the services available to assist them with their parole applications."
While Ms Allen had sought to fill the gap, the women had also made an impression on her.
"The thought of getting to work with them professionally after that unit was too tempting to pass up so it was a real delight getting to know them and getting to learn a bit more about their own stories and their own experiences of being in custody," she said.
The program is offered through McKenna Taylor Lawyers where Ms Allen worked as a paralegal.
"Working at McKenna Taylor, I had already seen first-hand what a huge difference legal representation could make during the parole process," she said.
"The partners, Tom [Taylor] and Adrian [McKenna] had also expressed an interest in doing more pro bono work so this just seemed like the perfect opportunity to put two and two together."
Ms Allen said she reached out to a university lecturer who put her in touch with the relevant contacts in order to start the program. Earlier this year other community organisations helped spread the word of the program to the female detainees.
So far, nine women have been referred to the program.
"On average, female detainees are more likely to have suffered a history of sexual abuse or family violence, which can contribute to substance misuse and complex mental health care needs," Ms Allen said.
"These kinds of circumstances can complicate an individual's prospect of being granted parole, which makes the availability of legal representation at parole hearings invaluable to many female detainees."
Ms Allen marked an important milestone on Friday when she was was officially admitted as a lawyer.
"It's tied my hands in how I have been able to be involved in the program so far, you know I'm not allowed to give legal advice and I have to have someone supervising me," she said.
"I'll be able to go out and be more independent in my involvement after Friday."
