My name is Rhonda Davis. I’m a 38-year-old Kamillaroi woman with four children.
In September 2013, I found myself for the first time involved in the criminal justice system.
My partner at the time and I went to a doof party in the middle of nowhere. The next 48 hours were awesome but they would turn into the absolute worst nightmare imaginable. I had taken a few drugs while we were there – drugs that I hadn’t heard of before. Knowing I had to drive home for work on Monday, I didn’t have anything to drink or take any drugs that day and honestly thought I was fine to drive, as so many of us do.
At around 2.30am Mat and I decided to pack up and head off. Not even 5km down the dirt track Mat crossed his arms and legs, gave me a wink and cheeky smile, said “see you at home, hey” and went to sleep. These would be the last words he would say to me.
I remember seeing a sign saying it was 10km to the next town. I woke Mat up, saying: “Wake up, it’s 10km to town, we’ll grab a coffee from Macca’s.” But only 3km on, I fell asleep at the wheel. The car collided with a telegraph pole, then flipped several times. Mat unfortunately didn’t make it, and that day my life was changed forever.
I was charged with dangerous driving occasioning death, driving under the influence of an illegal substance occasioning death, possessing an illegal substance, and driving a vehicle while unregistered and uninsured. But the feelings of self-hate and guilt that I live with daily are the hardest part.
On 13 April 2015 I was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment with a non-parole period of two years and six months. By this time my fourth child was five months old. I knew I was going to prison and had heard about the mothers and children program at Emu Plains Correctional Centre, and I was fortunate enough to be accepted. I knew the next two and a half years weren’t going to be easy but I needed to make something positive from this. I began to study my cert IV in alcohol and other drugs, as I had also lost a brother and a sister to suicide, both due to drug-related issues.
While studying every night after putting my son to bed, I was pumping through each unit and enjoying it. Then, on 25 November 2015 I received a call to let me know that I had lost yet another sibling to suicide – Duane, my eldest brother, had taken his own life.
This hurt a lot as Duane wasn’t just my brother, he was my rock, my best friend and in many ways like a father. I was refused permission by Corrections to attend his funeral as the distance was an issue. It’s something I still haven’t found closure with as I never got to say goodbye to him. But I couldn’t let this beat me, and I needed to leave with those qualifications.
Determination, my kids and the wish to hold my mum again is what got me through it. I can honestly say that prison saved my life, and I took every opportunity it threw at me. It was important that I bonded with my son, and I am thankful for the programs and education they offered. Once I had finished all the theory modules, I wanted to complete my hours to know I was leaving prison armed with practical knowledge. This wasn’t available from Emu Plains and would require me to have access to the public. Completing it would mean sending my son home to his dad, brother and sisters.
I transferred to Parramatta Transitional Centre and from there, after constant knock-backs, I finally found placement at the Community Restorative Centre.
I’d never been to the city before, let alone caught a train in one by myself. I worked alongside two very lovely and dedicated ladies who were passionate about their work around women and keeping them out of prison. The Miranda Project is based on a UK model, where its successful holistic support system was the reason behind the closure of three women’s prisons. I helped to write papers on the importance of such a program in Australia and was also invited to meet Judge Matthew Myers, who was then commissioner of the Australian Law Reform Commission. We spoke about the concerning overrepresentation of Aboriginal women in custody.
Because of that opportunity another one opened up and I secured paid employment with a women’s day refuge called Lou’s Place in Kings Cross. So for the last four months of my sentence I was approved by the works release program to work full-time and for full pay as an Aboriginal case worker. I was able to save the majority of my wages to help me with my return home to my family.
I have been home for almost three years now and have applied for many jobs, but the stigma around being a “criminal” has affected the outcome of many job opportunities. I believe that if telling my story to people could help in any way, it would be a feeling of achievement. I know firsthand the detrimental outcomes that women face due to incarceration, but if you have the drive, determination and will to make something useful out of your punishment and take every opportunity offered, you never know what may come from it.
My involvement in the criminal justice system has ultimately been one that has opened many doors.
The Link LonkNovember 16, 2020 at 11:30PM
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/2020/nov/17/i-fell-asleep-at-the-wheel-my-life-changed-the-day-my-partner-died
'I fell asleep at the wheel': my life changed the day my partner died | Rhonda Davis - The Guardian
https://news.google.com/search?q=Wheel&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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