How Life Skills Help Break the Cycle of Reoffending in Australia

Reoffending is one of Australia’s most persistent justice challenges.

According to the Productivity Commission, Australia’s average return-to-prison rate sits at over 45% within two years of release. That means nearly one in two individuals released from prison ends up back inside.

But there’s one thing proven to reduce that number: life skills training.

At New Directionz, we focus on equipping individuals with real-world tools they need after release—from communication and financial planning to emotional regulation and digital literacy. These skills are often the difference between freedom and relapse.

What Are “Life Skills” in a Justice Context?

In the prison rehabilitation space, “life skills” are not just soft skills—they’re survival skills.

They include:

• Understanding and managing emotions
• Planning routines and managing time
• Communicating clearly without aggression
• Handling finances, applying for support services
• Rebuilding healthy relationships
• Navigating the digital world (MyGov, job portals, mobile apps)

These aren’t luxuries. For many individuals leaving prison, they’re completely new experiences.

The Impact of Life Skills on Recidivism

Several Australian reports confirm the impact:

• The Australian Institute of Criminology found that prisoners who completed skills-based programs were significantly less likely to reoffend.
• A Corrections Victoria report showed that participation in education and employment preparation reduces the risk of return to custody.
• The Justice Reform Initiative urges greater investment in “evidence-based community-led programs” like life skills education as an alternative to re-incarceration.

Why Global Support Matters

Australia’s incarceration cost is over AU $153,000 per prisoner per year (IPA Report). But the cost of running a life skills program is just a fraction of that.

Global donors can directly fund:

• Training materials and facilitators
• Therapy modules linked to trauma and schema models
• Digital access for inmates learning online
• Post-release mentorship and follow-up

Your donation doesn’t just help one person. It interrupts the cycle of poverty, crime, and re-entry for families and communities across Australia.

How New Directionz Builds These Skills

Our approach includes:

• Volunteer-led life skills workshops in prisons and transitional housing
• Digital literacy training including access to devices and online platforms
• Schema and trauma-informed therapy models
• Post-release coaching to maintain positive habits and routines
• Community reconnection programs for families

You can read more about our work here:
What We Do

How You Can Help

Donate to reduce reoffending
Support a program, fund a digital kit, or sponsor a training cycle.
Donate here

Become a partner or advocate
We welcome partners—local and global—who believe in second chances.
Contact us

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is there proof that life skills reduce reoffending?
Yes. Reports from AIC, Corrections Victoria, and the Productivity Commission support this link.

Q: How are your programs different?
Our model is volunteer-driven, trauma-informed, and built on both lived and professional experience.

Q: Can I fund one program completely?
Yes. We offer program sponsorships—contact us directly to discuss.