In a large recycling facility in Sydney's west, Cindy Dumbrell – dressed in a helmet, mask and high-vis – is leading a team through a waste sorting machine.
The 40-year-old has made a big impression at her first job, quickly rising through the ranks from waste picker to operating machinery in the landfill.
It can be a tough and demanding job, but for Ms Dumbrell it's been a lifesaver.
"[I] went down the wrong path… come to a point where I nearly lost my life," she said.
Twelve months ago, Ms Dumbrell was in prison. She spent the last decade in and out of the system.
The mother of six, from Wreck Bay – an Aboriginal village on the NSW south coast – struggled with addiction and homelessness.
It all came to a head when she had a near fatal overdose.
"I was in a different state with nobody around and just getting that message from one of my children saying 'Mum, is it true? I heard you're dead'," she said.
"I was like what I am doing, and my kids – that I hadn't seen in years – were still texting to see if I was OK."
Fought to stay clean
This was the moment that changed everything for Ms Dumbrell. The next week she went back to jail and fought to stay in until she was clean.
She admits the next steps were a struggle, but once she reached out and found the appropriate services it was "awesome".
Ms Dumbrell moved to the Bolwara Transitional Centre which provides support for female offenders – particularly First Nations women – approaching release from custody.
It was here she heard about a prison release program.
Ms Dumbrell was determined to get an interview and within a week she was sitting down with its directors.
"I was nervous as hell, I never had a job in my life," she said.
"But sitting down with the guys for about five minutes, I was comfortable … I told them my story and they said they'd get back to me."
Within two weeks she was on site at one of the largest mixed-waste recycling facilities in the country and she's never looked back.
Program aims to break the cycle
Ms Dumbrell is part of the ReVive prison release program.
It's run by Djurwa, a joint venture between Yalagan Group Training – an Indigenous training and recruitment company – and Bingo Industries.
It aims to break the cycle of recidivism by offering Indigenous offenders' employment during their final months of incarceration and post their release.
"Starting the job from prison was a bit 'how you going' with an ankle bracelet on," Ms Dumbrell said.
"I didn't know whether to speak or not, and when I found out a few people knew, I started getting more comfortable.
"I love it here at Bingo."
The program provides candidates with certification and on-going support throughout the 12 to 18-month placement.
'Leaving their old live behind'
Natalie Davies works directly with candidates as Bingo's Indigenous employment manager, it's a role she describes as "like a big sister, little sister".
"I help them at work to settle in but also on the weeknights and weekends," she said.
"They're leaving their old lives behind, so the challenge is loneliness on the weekends, trying to develop new hobbies and activities … figuring out what they enjoy again and navigating a healthy lifestyle."
As of March, there were 349 Aboriginal women in NSW prisons.
It's an increase of 11.5 per cent from two years ago and accounts for more than third of all the state's female prisoners.
'It's a very hard transition'
Eddy Hazem is Yalagan's national group training manager and said offering offenders long-term employment and end-to-end support was critical in stopping "them falling back into bad habits again".
He said Yalagan takes on the risk of hiring new employees.
"We go to the host employers and say all we need from yourself is to offer them an opportunity," he said.
"We make sure they're upskilled, they're assigned support … whether its housing, whether it's getting their drivers licence … because for the majority of these candidates it's a very hard transition."
The program took on its first intake of candidates last year. Of the seven who began, three remain.
Djurwa director and Yalagan founder Nathan Martin said while proving successful, it needs more employers to take on more candidates.
"I want all of the other tier ones in this space to have a look at what we're doing and repeat it because there are so many people out there that could benefit from this opportunity," he said.
He said hearing of Ms Dumbrell's success makes his work worthwhile.
"That's what it's all about, you know," he said.
'I look ahead now, to the future'
Today, Ms Dumbrell rents her own place, has her driver's licence and is rebuilding a relationship with her six sons.
"Just being able to say I love you every day is awesome after ten years of pretty much nothing, broken promises from my behalf … yeah it's just deadly," she said.
She will complete her Certificate III in Waste Management next February.
"I look ahead now, to the future," she said.
"Everyone is just so proud of me… it's like I never went [to prison].
"If I can do it any of them girls can too."
