Voices for Change
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Self-advocates with Acquired Brain Injury transforming the criminal justice system Our community is overrepresented in the criminal justice system.
We are peers who have sustained an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) and who have had contact with the criminal justice system. You can hire us to speak about improvements we think are needed in the system. We have lived experience expertise.
06/02/2026
We've just been chatting to Emily and Simon from the Centre for Innovative Justice about voting rights in prison.
We shared our lived experience of how easy or difficult it was to vote while we were doing time.
We hope our views shape the review currently underway by the Victorian government on voting accessibility for people with disability.
Voices for Change continues to be an essential voice in any discussion and policy formation that affects people with Acquired Brain Injury in the criminal justice system.
Hire us to help shape your policy or workplace process or enquire about our training we are currently designing.
Thanks for supporting Voices for Change
voices-for-change.org
Voices for Change headed down to the Geelong Showgrounds to set up a stall during the ‘Men’s Mental Health Family Day’ gathering organised by the Mental Health Militia Foundation. It was great to get out and talk to people about our group and the kind of lived experience advocacy we do. We hope to take part in more of these kinds of events in the future.
The atmosphere was really positive at the Showgrounds and it was great to be a part of such a good initiative. The organising team did a great job bringing it all together for the community. Thanks for having us!
Our member, Francesca, joined the health-justice partnership national community in Sydney last week as they got together for some transformative learnings across the sector.
Fran held the audience's attention as she shared how her own story has made an impact on the work she does with Voices for Change.
We hope the audience was inspired to see the power lived experience advocacy makes to create systemic change and that they will encourage more of it in their organisations.
Fran shared how it can be difficult to share your story as it can be painful at times, but she is proud of the stories Voices for Change shared this year in their fantastic podcast, All Been Inside, despite her initial nervousness.
Thanks to old and new friends at Health Justice Australia 2025. A great bunch of people across the country doing important work bridging the gap between the health and justice sectors for Australia's service users.
Thank-you for extending the welcome to Francesca and Voices for Change.
Search for 'All Been Inside' podcast or visit voices-for-change.org
20/11/2025
In memory of Kevin Maloney RIP ❤️
Sadly missed.
Kevin was an original member of Voices for Change.
He loved the group. He was chilled. He was lovable.
Kevin loved to use the self-advocacy cheer 'Nothing About Us Without Us'.
Kevin, if only you could see us now...
We will never forget you, Kevin ❤️
Our old friends from the Centre for Innovative Justice visited us this week to record our submissions to the Disability Discrimination Act review. We talked about the ways we think law should be changed to make things easier for people with Acquired Brain Injury, particularly in regards to police engagement.
We would like to see programs like the Independent Third Person Program properly resourced and professionalised. The ITP supports people with cognitive disability in police interviews.
It was a good opportunity to speak out about these issues with the CIJ. Voices for Change is motivated to make our community’s justice system experience fairer and easier.
Thank-you to Emily and Simon for the visit and for giving us an opportunity to share our views for the review.
30/10/2025
We were very excited recently to welcome visitors from Japan. The Japanese Bar Association visited us to learn about self-advocacy for people with disability and criminal justice system experience.
The research team was interested in the question of agency and voice for people with lived experience as there is currently a broad movement for prison reform in Japan, including model programs for people with cognitive disabilities and addiction. However, awareness of the strong occurence of people having Acquired Brain Injury in the criminal justice system is lacking in Japan, in contrast to Australia where there is increasing recognition.
Voices for Change member, Michael Mayne, spoke with interpreter, Masahiko Mizuto, about his lived experience and his journey to becoming a disability-justice self-advocate with Voices for Change. We also welcomed Managing Lawyer in Criminal Law and Drug Outreach at Fitzroy Legal Service, Adam Willson, to the conversation, as well as Stan Winford, Fitzroy Legal Service alum and now-Associate Director of the Centre for Innovative Justice. Stan and his team are leaders in progressive research and thought about cognitive disability in the criminal justice system.
Thanks to Masahiko and his team for visiting Voices for Change. We would like to go to Japan one day and visit you in return.
The full 9mn film can be viewed on our YouTube channel:
Japanese Bar Association visits Voices for Change We were very excited recently to welcome visitors from Japan. The Japanese Bar Association visited us to learn about self-advocacy for people with disability...
Hear Michael's full story this Saturday at 1pm on 3CR Community Radio
Joining Mike on his episode is Stan Winford from the Centre for Innovative Justice who talks about the pathways into the justice system for young offenders and how people with cognitive disabilities could be better supported when they come into contact with the law.
It's a highly educational episode about Acquired Brain Injury and disability reform in the criminal justice system. Not to be missed!
Hope you can join us.
Thank-you to 3CR Community Radio for this special Melbourne broadcast in our home town ❤️
🎉Listen:
Saturday 25th Oct
1pm
855 AM
3cr.org.au
Community Radio Plus app!
Thanks for supporting the Voices for Change.
14/10/2025
Zoe and Niki from FIGJAM came to visit us yesterday. FIGJAM are a lived experience, justice advocacy collective supported by Flat Out Inc
FIGJAM do amazing work supporting women, trans and gender non-conforming folks adjust to life after incarceration, through peer support and through gaining strong advocacy skills.
Voices for Change learnt a lot about how FIGJAM work together that could help our group and we also heard about the great work they are doing in prisons. That's where we want to be.
FIGJAM are inspiring advocates and good to be around. We hope they can help Voices for Change start working in prisons so we can educate prisoners about Acquired Brain Injury and how peer support and self-advocacy can change your life.
Thank-you, Zoe and Niki, for sharing your time and expertise with us ❤️
Find out more about FIGJAM through the Flat Out Inc website. They have a beautiful webpage.
Tune in to 3CR Community Radio this Saturday October 11 for episode two of our podcast, All Been Inside.
This episode features 'Bindi' talking about how she acquired her brain injury and her message of the need for equitable care by our health and justice system for women who have experienced domestic violence.
Bindi also chats with social worker, Sinead Tobin, about her experiences supporting clients with Acquired Brain Injury and what our health and social systems need to recognise ABI and to provide appropriate care.
Bindi is a strong advocate and we hope you learn a lot from her episode
This episode contains heavy themes of abuse and violence that could trigger emotional distress. Please take care when listening.
All Been Inside on 3CR Community Radio
Saturday 11th October, 1pm
Listen:
855AM
3cr.org.au
Community Radio Plus app
Thanks for supporting Voices for Change.
Our first podcast episode of All Been Inside premieres on radical 3CR Community Radio this Saturday October 4th at 1pm and features our member, Jai, in conversation with criminal lawyer, Adam Willson, from Fitzroy Legal Service
Jai talks about his experience of the Assessment and Referral Court (ARC), a special court dedicated to supporting people caught up in the justice system with significant mental health issues and Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). Jai had a good experience with the ARC and would like to see it rolled out across many more places in the criminal justice system.
It is estimated that anywhere from 40 - 90% of people incarcerated in Australia today may have an ABI. That's compared to 2% in the general community - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare - AIHW
Set your alarm for 1pm this Saturday October 4th on 3CR Community Radio to hear Jai's story of ABI and overcoming the challenges in your life.
Not to be missed!
1pm
Saturday October 4
855AM
3cr.org.au
+ Community Radio Plus app 👈
Centre for Innovative Justice
Department of Justice and Community Safety, Victoria, Australia
01/10/2025
We would love to go into the prisons and talk about Acquired Brain Injury and self-advocacy with prisoners. That is one of our dreams.
That's the kind of work Beyond the Stone Walls Advisory Collective do. We met lived experience advocates Pattie and Kiki last week when they came to visit us. We learnt about their life-changing programs and how we might be able to work with them going forward.
We hope BSWAC invites us to their Community of Practise soon so we can meet more people working in the justice advocacy space.
Thanks Pattie and Kiki for a great visit to Voices for Change 🌺
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Fitzroy Legal Service, Level 4, 201 Napier Street
Fitzroy, VIC
3065
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| Wednesday | 10am - 5pm |
| Thursday | 10am - 4pm |