SBS's ground-breaking new documentary series, Life on the Outside, puts forward a question that could change someone's life: would you let a formerly incarcerated person stay in your home?
Presented by actor and activist, Danielle Cormack (Wentworth), the three-part series is inspired by a unique initiative[1] in the United States tackling recidivism - a person's relapse into criminal behaviour. Life on the Outside follows a similar approach in a world-television first on Wednesdays from 16 March, 8.30pm on SBS and SBS On Demand, placing formerly incarcerated people in households for the first 100 days of their release from prison, as a circuit breaker to help turn their lives around.
Billions of dollars are spent every year keeping people imprisoned in Australia, with more than 40,000 people currently incarcerated[2]. One in two will go back inside within the first two years of being released[3]. There is a clear connection between prison congestion and recidivism, with overcrowding impacting rehabilitation, educational and vocational programs[4], and linked to an increase in violence and poor mental health[5]. Upon release, most people who leave prison struggle to reintegrate into society due to histories of trauma and institutionalisation[6]. Some of the key contributing factors of recidivism are a lack of support for these mental and emotional complexities, and a lack of accommodation[1], with thousands of ex-prisoners experiencing homelessness[2].
After consultation with non-government organisations, charities, caseworkers, and people with lived experience, Life on the Outside explores the potential for how an initiative like this has the potential to create real change.
Presenter Danielle Cormack said: Recidivism is a topic that's close to my heart. As a partner in Heartspeak Worldwide, and through my work with charities such as SHINE for Kids, I've seen how at-risk youth and families with relatives in the criminal justice system also pay the price. It would be easy to pass judgement, but the impact of incarceration shouldn't be underestimated. For many, freedom can seem like a slippery slope, and reoffending the only path back to a bed, a meal, and a sense of belonging. I believe everyone should be treated equally and I'm excited about the potential for real change that's explored in this series.
Over three episodes, the series follows four formerly incarcerated people in a bold experiment that places them in households with a carefully selected individual or family for the first 100 days of their release. Through this initiative, they are offered a room and board, around-the clock access to a caseworker, and introductions to various mentors and assistance programs.
Husband and wife, Wayne and Julie, agree to house Brett, a serial offender who has been to prison four times. Louise Ridlen and her two adult children, Brittany and Reggie, agree to house Jeremy, a 41-year-old man who has spent nearly half his life in prison and has been to prison 14 times.
During his 100-day stay with the Ridlens, Jeremy said, Theyve been so supportive and been so damn terrific when it comes to just putting all my past beside me and saying, you know what, let's judge him on how he is now. And if more people were like Louise and her family, the crime rates would go down tremendously, the jails would be half empty and the world would be a much better place.
School teacher Nigel agrees to house Dane, a 24-year-old father of three, who was in prison for 10 months. As a Bundjalung man, Dane is statistically among the most incarcerated people in the world[3]. Dane said, I appreciate everything about this program because it has given me a stable place to live, and there's someone there to talk to if I need to. They've given me the opportunity to be out and be able to see my kids.
Amanda is an empty nester who wants to offer support to others who may not have it, and agrees to house Sierra, a 41-year-old mother of two who's spent the last 13 months in custody.
The series also features people with a lived experience of prison and its aftermath who offer insight into the difficulties ex-prisoners face when trying to reintegrate into society, and how support on the outside is a crucial step in reducing the likelihood of reoffence. These include Joe, who served nine years; Alby, who served 14 years; and Jenna, a former policewoman who served 12 months.
The power of a second chance requires both parties to approach the initiative with trust and an open mind, but it isn't without its challenges. This insightful series shows that great risk can offer great reward, as people open their homes - and their hearts - to those who are looking to turn their life around for the better.
SBS Head of Documentaries, Joseph Maxwell said: Life on the Outside looks at recidivism in a provocative, but purposeful manner, through an initiative that could greatly help reduce the staggering rate of reconviction in this country. The series cuts through stigma and puts forward a different perspective to generate awareness and understanding about the ongoing battle formerly incarcerated people face when trying to rebuild their lives. It's SBS's role to create programs that drive national conversation around important issues. We hope this program will contribute to social cohesion and inspire positive action.
ITV Studios Australia, Head of Factual & Reality, Ben Ulm said: Life on the Outside was one of the most challenging and complex series we have undertaken. While the public often perceives criminals as hardened and resilient, in fact they are among the most vulnerable members of our community, particularly the moment they step back out into the free world. Thank you to all our contributors who bravely shared their stories. This series is authentic, insightfu
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
YES Network and The Gotham Sports App will air seven Athletes Unlimited Softball...
12/06/2026
The United Football League will host its FAST Innovation Suite at the 2026 United Bowl presented by Credit One Bank on Saturday, June 13 at 3:00 p.m. ET at Audi...
12/06/2026
PTZOptics and LayerJot will present live demonstrations at InfoComm 2026 showing how natural-language AI prompting, robotic camera control, and on-device comput...
12/06/2026
MultiDyne Video and Fiber Optic Systems will exhibit at InfoComm 2026, featuring...
12/06/2026
Ateme has announced that Eurovision Services is using Ateme's software-based frame-rate conversion technology for international live event workflows. The de...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin and Simplestream have announced a partnership with Xperi to simplify the launch of OTT streaming services on TiVo OS smart TVs and devices. The collabo...
12/06/2026
Net Insight has announced that a multinational technology company is deploying a...
12/06/2026
MLB Players Inc., the business arm of the MLB Players Association, has announced a partnership with Athletes First to develop and sell brand partnerships across...
12/06/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D) and VuWall have announced the CommandKeyboard-Advanc...
12/06/2026
Comcast Smart Solutions announces a new smart technology deployment with Major L...
12/06/2026
Elevation Worship completed the initial leg of its Elevation Nights 2026 tour ...
12/06/2026
AJA Video Systems has announced KONA IP25 support for Colorfront Transkoder and ...
12/06/2026
Audinate Group Limited (ASX: AD8) will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C7321, Ce...
12/06/2026
Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould has announced the appointment of Scott Adametz as Chief Technology Officer. The Pac-12 describes the hire as the first CTO appo...
12/06/2026
Grass Valley has announced AMPP Edge Live, a production system combining Grass Valley hardware, NVIDIA Blackwell GPU acceleration, and AMPP OS in a single platf...
12/06/2026
At one time a trailblazer with the launch of the Longhorn Network, the Universit...
12/06/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
12/06/2026
Chyron has announced PAINT 10.4, an update to its illustrated replay and sports ...
12/06/2026
SVP, Production Mark Gross: With the new schedule, with not having every Sunday night, it's given us an opportunity to take a step back and reimagine what ...
12/06/2026
For Televisa Technical Engineering Manager Roberto N nez Ibarra and the small team of 12 technicians and two production personnel at the IBC things are already ...
12/06/2026
Simple Steps to Better Acoustics - Taming The Small Room
Most of us mix in spare rooms and small spaces, where the acoustics fight us at every turn. At Gear...
12/06/2026
Latest addition expands vintage-inspired effects palette
Meris' Ottobit pedal range draws its inspiration from vintage gaming consoles, and the latest a...
12/06/2026
Soundbox-based chamber strings series expanded
Sonora Cinematic have just announced the launch of the second instalment in their Soundbox-based chamber stri...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
AJA Announces KONA IP25 Integration with Colorfront Software
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Collaboration enables uncompressed SMPTE ST 2110 I/O ...
12/06/2026
URSA Cine 12K LF Used to Create Visuals for STUTS' K-Arena Concert
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Organic visuals projected on a giant scre...
12/06/2026
MTI FILM Acquires Mango New Edit, Expanding its Global Post-Production Services ...
12/06/2026
AI Point Tracking Speeds Up Complex VFX Tracks in Mocha Pro
Jessie Electa Petrov June 12, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic point trac...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin, a provider of video streaming solutions, has partnered with Simplestream, a provider of OTT and broadcast solutions, and technology provider Xperi, to...
12/06/2026
Leostream Corporation, creator of the world-leading Leostream Remote Desktop Access Platform, today announced Jigsaw24, a leading B2B IT solutions provider wit...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
How Aussie indie games and screen are levelling up with IP 11 June 2026
Ari Harrison, Pro Jank Footy
Head of Games Joey Egger and Ari Harrison of Umbrella sha...
12/06/2026
AgentPerf from Artificial Analysis, the industry's first agentic AI benchmark, gives developers, enterprises and infrastructure providers a clear way to com...
12/06/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils First-Look Images from Villaflor, Santiago Mitre's New Film
Entertainment
12 June 2026
GlobalArgentina
Link copied to ...
12/06/2026
Back to All News
Cross the Boundaries of the Real World into the Spirit Realm i...
12/06/2026
With John Daro, DI Colourist at Warner Bros. Water Tower Color Tuesday 23 June, 10am-1pm or 3-6pm
Restar Corporation
Tokyo
Register here
John Daro is the ...
12/06/2026
Meet The Grumpy Onion Ireland's newest online sensation, all he wants is to ...
12/06/2026
RT stays Up All Night with brand new daily 2026 FIFA World Cup Vodcast
Adding to the fun around 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament, RT has launched a brand new d...
SBS's ground-breaking new documentary series, Life on the Outside, puts forward a question that could change someone's life: would you let a formerly incarcerated person stay in your home?
