Beyond The Bars connects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners to the wider community and is a unique radio event that gives voice to the experience of inmates in Victorian prisons. Beyond The Bars is held during NAIDOC week July 7-11, and features daily broadcasts of  the Aboriginal men and women inside Victoria’s prisons.

For local singer/songwriter and one of the founders of the project, Kutcha Edwards, the broadcasts are an important way to give voice to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners. 'Why is there a revolving door when it comes to indigenous community and incarceration? What sort of justice is it when our people’s parole conditions are so stringent that they are constantly landing back in prison? To hear the answers to those questions, you need to tune in to Beyond the Bars.'

Download the poster

Download the media release

Beyond the Bars receives financial support from the Community Broadcasting Foundation, the Koori Justice Unit and Corrections Victoria at the Department of Justice, and the City of Melbourne. 

BEYOND THE BARS 2014

Mon 7 July 11am-2pm – Dame Phyllis Frost Centre (Deer Park) Live Broadcast
Tue 8 July 10am-2pm – Barwon Prison (Lara, near Geelong) Live Broadcast
Wed 9 July 10am-12pm – Fulham Corrections Centre (Sale, Gippsland) Prerecord
Wed 9 July 12-2pm – Loddon Prison (Chewton, near Castlemaine) Live Broadcast
Thu 10 July 12-4pm – Port Phillip Prison (Laverton) Live Broadcast POSTPONED until Further Notice
Fri 11 July 11am-2pm – Marngoneet Correction Centre (Lara, near Geelong) Live Broadcast

Media Coverage:

Melbourne Times

Listen to the double CD here:

CD 1

1 Intro - Robbie Thorpe 0:32

2 Tribute To Lester - Gazza 2:21

3 Hard Time - Russell 1:33

4 Young Nunga Boy - Aidan 0:26

5 Priorities - Casey and Russell 1:13

6 Being A Grandfather - Gazza 1:21

7 Cheerios From Port Phillip Prison 1:35

8 One Day We Will All See A Light - Glenda 0:50

9 More And Younger - Ange 3:14

10 A Koori Gin - Ashly 1:29

11 Babies In Prison - Trisha and Ange 4:35

12 For Flo - Mooney 0:16

13 Out Of Those Doors - Kaylah 3:24

14 How Are We - Kelly 0:46

15 Programs And Systems - Women at DPFC 9:20

16 Let me Spread My Wings - Kaylah 1:05

17 Pure To The Land - Glenda 2:11

18 Our Australia Land - Glenda 0:55

19 Stolen Generation by D. Roachford - Kaylah 1:29

20 Cheerios from DPFC 10:04

21 Symbolic Meaning Of The Flag - Robbie 3:35

22 Stolen Artwork - Jason 2:27

23 Looking For Michael - Ian 1:16

24 Growing Up -Troy 1:21

25 For Helen - Jason 1:43

26 NAIDOC - Mick 0:44

27 Victorian Time - Jason 0:36

28 Not Ignorance, Reality - Hayden 0:25

29 Elders And NAIDOC - Robbie 1:53

30 Parole - Jason 2:45

31 Cheerios from Marngoneet 3:08

32 Footprints - Robbie 5:15

CD 2

1 Passing Time - Tim 2:47

2 Beyond These Walls - Greg 0:40

3 Family Misses You - David 4:50

4 Only He Knows - Greg 1:24

5 Family Visits -Adrian1:07

6 Cheerios from Loddon 4:03

7 Running In Circles - Travis 2:58

8 Books and History - Travis 5:23

9 A Time For Culture -Gary4:17

10 Last Kiss - Josh 2:38

11 Getting Out - David 4:29

12 Smoking Ceremony - David and Trevor 1:40

13 The Constitution - Liam 0:26

14 Cheerios from Barwon 4:35

15 Release - Fuddy Jnr 5:03

16 Lost - Bo 2:27

17 A Very Long Time - Sid 1:05

18 Ode To Aunty Shazz - Sid 5:28

19 Redemption - Fuddy Jnr 1:14

20 My Son - Dean 0:34

21 Passing On Through - Dexta 2:16

22 Thug Life - Dexta 0:48

23 Stability - Fuddy Jnr 1:49

24 Cheerios from Fulham 4:48

25 Take Me Away Back To The Dreamtime - Dexta 3:02