Every year, more than 40-thousand men and women enter and exit prisons across Australia. Justice advocates say that prison population could be an answer to the nation's skilled worker shortage. If employers can overcome the stigma of hiring a former inmate.
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00:00On Anthony Best's first day on the job, his boss was less than impressed.
00:08When he first walked in, he had his arse dragging out of his pants and he was a bit all over
00:13the shop.
00:14But he quickly turned things around.
00:19For the next six months, Anthony learned to craft caskets and coffins in Ballarat.
00:24It's something that's helped him turn his own life around too.
00:28Every coffin I make, I try and make it perfect.
00:31Anthony spent much of his life bouncing in and out of jail.
00:35His boss took a chance on him after he laid his story on the table, warts and all.
00:40I don't necessarily judge anyone on their past.
00:44He was completely honest with me when he started and that was enough for me.
00:50Teagan Hartwick spent three years in prison in 2015 before turning her life around.
00:55Now she works as an advocate for other prisoners, helping them find a job upon release.
01:00It means being able to go and support your family, you know, to be able to be the breadwinner,
01:04to be able to go to sleep at night and know that your bills are going to be paid.
01:08Incarceration in Australia costs more than $6.3 billion annually, but advocates say meaningful
01:15employment upon release would not only help reduce recidivism rates, but address Australia's
01:20skilled worker shortage.
01:22If we want to reduce the number of people coming back to prison, we really need to look
01:26at what happens at the point of post-release.
01:29Anthony Best's newfound stability has helped him reconnect with his mum and son.
01:35He doesn't mind being the poster boy for other ex-prisoners and if it doesn't work out, well,
01:41Anthony's advice is typically brief.
01:44Just give them a shot, you know, like you can always sack them.
01:46A dose of clarity that comes with a second chance.
01:52For more information visit www.fema.gov