Pattie Phillips – Victoria

Pattie’s story is one of resilience, transformation, and the power of learning to create new possibilities.

After four years in prison in Melbourne and two years on parole, Pattie found new direction through education. While in prison, she participated in the Inside Out Prison Exchange Program through RMIT University, before going on to start a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Criminology.

During her time in prison, Pattie also supported others by teaching English to Vietnamese women. Diagnosed later in life as neurodivergent, Pattie believes that her own learning journey, including failing Year 11 twice, shows that “no one’s journey is linear”.

Today, Pattie, 56, draws on her lived experience to support others. She has worked as a peer worker helping people transition back into the community and now works as a Community and Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator at the Hope Network (formally Prison Network), where she is passionate about creating opportunities and helping others succeed.