Australian Story: season final

In its 2010 season finale, Australian Story charts the journey of Kerry Tucker from suburban mother of two, to maximum security prisoner and now, Swinburne University lecturer.

“My life changed from the day I was arrested and I went from being a suburban mother of two, to prisoner 171435… And I remember thinking, the front light’s on, the wine glasses (are) in the sink, the kids’ electric blankets are on and the only thing missing was me.” – Kerry Tucker.

When 41 year old Kerry Tucker was sentenced to seven years in a maximum security prison for company fraud offences, amidst the despair of her fall from grace, she faced a critical decision.

She could relent to the hopelessness of her incarceration and inevitably become institutionalised. Or, she could apply her energy to improving and informing herself, until such time she could return to freedom and reclaim her life. Kerry chose the latter.

During her time in Victoria’s Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, Kerry emerged as a natural leader, acting as a peer educator and becoming the unofficial the voice of other inmates. Meanwhile, she studied for a Masters Degree while writing prolifically, even authoring a children’s book.

Despite her commitment to personal development and rebuilding her life, Kerry was not prepared for the readjustment required upon her release.

“I was released to quite different circumstances to most women. I had a loving family… I was much more privileged than most, but after everyone went home and I’d been out three days I wanted to go back – the only thing I didn’t know about prison was leaving it” she said.

Now, three years after her release, Kerry is finding catharsis in further education, completing her PhD, while applying her knowledge and experiences to academic lecturing, public speaking and women’s advocacy.

“I think Kerry has the potential to really become the voice of a lot of these women who are still on their own journeys, whether they’re still inside or whether they’ve just recently been released; she can actually articulate what it was like in there and equally the struggles that she’s faced when she came out.” – Dr Jason Bainbridge, Lecturer, Swinburne University.

It airs Monday 8 November at 8pm on ABC1.