Quick to laugh and wearing black jeans on a work day, Michelle Barclay doesn't seem like a typical lawyer. But for the community legal centre solicitor, that's exactly the point.
It took Ms Barclay a year and a half to win the trust of the women incarcerated in Canberra's prison. Visiting the Alexander Maconochie Centre monthly with Canberra Community Law's legal literacy program, Ms Barclay knew inmates saw lawyers as unapproachable and untrustworthy.
"But something as simple as what you wear can help," Ms Barclay said. "The women say to me, 'Are you really? You're a lawyer?' I'm a normal person first and a lawyer second."
Multiple studies have shown between 70 and 90 per cent of women in Australian prisons are the victims of physical, sexual or emotional abuse.
Ms Barclay, who was this week recognised with a $10,000 Local Hero award, believes incarcerated women deserve support to get their lives back on track.
"They're just normal people, many who have had difficult lives. They've made a mistake. They deserve to be able to come out of prison after doing their time and get on with their life and contribute to their community," she said.
Ms Barclay's Women in Prison Legal Empowerment Sessions are one source of that support. The voluntary sessions provide women with legal resources, connect them with lawyers, and offer a space for their questions to be answered.
Ms Barclay said many women assumed their legal issues to be exclusively criminal problems. But since launching in April 2019, the clinic has assisted women with issues of housing, parole, debt, fines and protection matters. One woman had $17,000 in debt forgiven on compassionate grounds with the help of the clinic.
"That was life-changing for her. We talked to her about her situation, what led her to the debt. We wrote a debt waiver request letter, sent it off, and negotiated it down to nothing," Ms Barclay said.
The clinic has helped a survivor of violence eliminate $10,000 in traffic fines accrued in her name by a thief who stole her car. Another woman who lived in public housing before entering prison almost surrendered her property, assuming incorrectly she had lost her right to the tenancy. With the help of the clinic she retained her property - avoiding homelessness, which Ms Barclay said is a leading factor contributing to re-offending.
"Without stable housing it makes it very difficult for someone in crisis," she said.
Ms Barclay grew up in public housing, and believes her experience offers a valuable insight to the people she supports. Growing up watching Law and Order and Judge Judy, she said she always knew she wanted to be a lawyer. "I initially wanted to do commercial [law], chase the money, then I realised that wasn't me. Where I like to be is helping people."
Ms Barclay described herself as a private person who doesn't chase the spotlight - but she's still proud of the Local Hero award for her work with the legal literacy clinic and Canberra Community Law's Street Law program. "It's recognition that this sort of program is important, that they're making a difference, and that there are people who can do this [work]," she said.
The prize money will give breathing room to the in-prison legal clinic, which was due to run out of funding at the end of 2020.
Ms Barclay said women sharing referrals between themselves showed the program's success. She said approximately three-quarters of the women's prison population attended the monthly sessions. One woman has taken it upon herself to distribute a legal health checklist resource produced by Ms Barclay to new arrivals at the prison.
"She says, 'Fill this out, and Michelle will come and help you out'," Ms Barclay said. "That's a big success factor for me; the building of trust the women have now."
