SHE IS NOT YOUR REHAB BOOKS FOR PRISONERS

You may not know a Joe, but you sure as hell know a Rita.

We continue to see Australian woman murdered by there partners.

Enough.

We have had enough.

Help us provide a proven tool to end intergenerational violence and trauma.

We know and love the Paul Kelly classic, Gravy Day. Joe is writing to his brother from prison, with instructions on how to make the gravy. He talks of his love for Rita - how much he loves her and she will be the one to save him.

With a combined experience of 30 years working in Australia's prison system, we know Rita isn’t responsible for saving Joe.

Only Joe can save himself. We know there are terrible links between intergenerational trauma and current family violence. We also know things have to change, we need new ways of addressing family violence. We need to start at the source.

If Joe can’t do the work in prison to save himself, he won’t have the support when he gets out in July. Good behaviour is one thing, but addressing the root cause of violence in the home is something else. It ends the cycle of women dying at the hands of their partners.

We want to provide every prisoner in Australia with a powerful and proven tool to help prevent domestic and family violence.

The book “She is Not Your Rehab” is written by Mataio (Matt) Faafetai Malietoa Brown. Matt has inspired a new generation of New Zealand men to break free from the cycle of abuse — and those men have in turn inspired him and his wife, Sarah, to create the global anti-violence movement, She Is Not Your Rehab.

In this raw and unflinching book, Matt shares his own story and those of his clients, of surviving family violence and abuse, and how they were able to find healing and turn their lives around. He introduces the people and concepts that have helped him heal. Matt gives readers the tools they need to begin their own journeys. The book is currently available to all prisoners in New Zealand and anecdotal evidence suggests it is making small but impactful changes in understanding intergenerational trauma, and learning how to recognise and stop that behaviour in readers’ own homes.

The feedback from non-offending partners, children and parents of prisoners has been incredible. It’s been extremely impactful for men when they return home from prison, the book gives them support and tools to recognise harmful behaviour within a home situation - and end it.

If we can get this book into the hands of Joes across Australian prisons, we will see the effect on households across the country.

We will see men returning home with tools and techniques to regulate violent behaviour.

And you can help by donating to our crowdfunding campaign.

All donations are tax deductable. This is an initiative of the MATE Bystander program, together with our charity partner The Tara Brown Foundation.