• A Charles Sturt University breakfast event in Orange on Thursday 14 November offers the chance to support students with a history of incarceration to gain a higher education as a pathway to social reintegration

Charles Sturt University is hosting an event in Orange to foster empathy and inspire action to support prisoner reform initiatives and promote higher education for individuals transitioning from incarceration to reintegration.

The ‘ Breaking Barriers: a Breakfast for Reform and Opportunity’ event will take place on Thursday 14 November from 7.30am to 9am at the Bloomfield Medical Centre in Orange.

It is a breakfast event of powerful stories, expert insights and the chance to support students with a history of incarceration.

(Acting) Associate Director of Development at Charles Sturt University Mr Justin Williams said the

‘Breaking Barriers’ event will provide insights from a variety of sector experts as well as representation from corrective service-based initiatives.

“Participants will gain valuable insights from both personal stories and expert analyses, fostering empathy and inspiring action to support prisoner reform initiatives,” Mr Williams said.

“The event will provide participants with a deeper understanding of the challenges and triumphs faced by individuals transitioning from incarceration to reintegration.”

Guest speakers include Charles Sturt alumnus Mr Louie Liu who will share his story of reform and redemption through higher education. Mr Liu graduated in the Charles Sturt School of Allied Health, Exercise and Sports Sciences with a Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science (2018) and Bachelor of Physiotherapy (2024).

Mr Liu said education has given him options and reasoning ability and has shown him how to separate right from wrong.

“Education created a world worth living in for me,” Mr Liu said. “That is why I have approached Charles Sturt University to set up the scholarship, with the intention to give both a financial and morale boost to those who are facing similar challenges.

“For me, study was 10 times harder than gaol. I believe people with similar experiences to me would likely have a very poor foundation in study, as our foundations are built on drug habits, poor concentration, poor stress management, poor technology skills and poor study habits.

“I firmly believe that the person that I can help change through this scholarship will change the world.”

Other speakers include Dr John Gaffey, Senior Lecturer in Criminology in the Charles Sturt Centre for Law and Justice in Bathurst, and Ms Jo-Anne Stapleton, Acting Director Western, Community Corrections, and a representative from Girrawaa Art Centre at Bathurst Correctional Centre.

Eight artworks from Girrawaa will be auctioned at the event, with proceeds going towards the Reformer New Start Scholarships which aim to support students at Charles Sturt University with a history of incarceration.

Additional opportunities to support the scholarship will also be available.

The ‘Breaking Barriers: a Breakfast for Reform and Opportunity’ event is from 7.30am to 9am on Thursday 14 November at the Bloomfield Medical Centre, Level 1 on Forrest Road, Orange NSW and offers a free breakfast and coffee.

Participants are asked to RSVP and register via the website here by Friday 8 November.

Charles Sturt University offers a range of practical courses through the Centre, including the Bachelor of Laws, to equip students with the theories and skills to advance their careers in law and justice.

The University welcomes donations to its scholarships and to improve the outcomes of our students and communities at any time.