Alumnus Spearheads Innovative Prison Newspaper
Joseph Friedman, a Monash Law alumnus, has embarked on an unconventional career path that merges his passion for law, criminal justice, and journalism. Through this triangular intersection, Joseph has created Australia’s first national prison newspaper, About Time.
A Journey from Law to Journalism
“One of the most interesting electives I did at Monash Law was Current Issues in Criminal Law which highlighted various problems with the way criminal law is enacted in Australia. That certainly solidified an interest I already had in criminal justice and criminal justice policy,” recalls Joseph.
It was Joseph’s experiences volunteering at the Fitzroy Legal Service night clinic and the Capital Punishment Justice Centre through Monash Law Clinics that fueled his desire to create meaningful change beyond the courtroom.
Joseph was also involved in student politics as a Monash Law Student.
“I was the Education Officer with the Monash Student Association and sat on academic boards, representing students across Monash University.”
Joseph Friedman co-hosting the Monash Student Association Teaching Awards in 2020.
After graduating in 2020, Friedman found himself drawn to the intersection of legal advocacy and storytelling. His original plan was to travel and volunteer in the 2020 US election, but a global pandemic forced a change to those plans.
“So I went to the Northern Territory and volunteered in the criminal section of the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA), the Aboriginal Legal Service in Darwin, which was really great.”
After Darwin, Joseph took a graduate role at Allens, then 18 months later an Associateship at the Supreme Court.
“On the side of that, I was also doing some freelance journalism,” reveals Joseph.
Inside Time
About Time aims to be more than just a newspaper—it’s a lifeline for those behind bars. It’s inspired by a UK-based prison newspaper that Joseph discovered through a podcast.
“It was an episode about the crime of joint enterprise in the United Kingdom, which is also known as murder by association, and its previous interpretation meant that if you were party to a robbery and one of the offenders in that robbery had killed the victim, then you being party to that robbery could be charged with murder,” explains Joseph.
The interpretation of the law was challenged and overturned by the Supreme Court in the UK which resulted in the subject of the podcast being exonerated.
“The exonerated person said that they read about the High Court’s decision in Inside Time. After I heard that I looked up Inside Time.”
Inside time is a prison newspaper that was established in the UK in 1990 and is now a 60+ page monthly. Over 50,000 copies are printed in full colour and distributed to incarcerated people across the prisons and detention facilities in the UK.
“By all accounts, it's a much loved publication and I think the key to that is that most of the content comes from people inside prison in what's called the mailbag section. That’s the centrepiece, where people write in letters about their experiences,” shares Joseph.
About Time
Joseph recognized the need for a publication similar to Inside Time in Australia and after some research found that there was nothing like it.
“In fact, we're quite lacking in any kind of prison journalism and prison literature. So I thought, could this become a reality here in Australia?”
Joseph conducted extensive focus groups with current and former inmates, listening to their stories, frustrations, and aspirations. The resounding consensus was clear: incarcerated individuals craved a platform to express themselves, stay informed, and connect with the outside world.
About Time is a new publication created for, and largely by, incarcerated people in Australia. It’s a window into the concealed world of incarceration—a voice that transcends prison walls.
“It's been a really long journey, in terms of raising funding, getting approval from corrections authorities, assembling a team, finding a designer, and creating content,” says Joseph.
The first edition of About Time was published in July. The newspaper covers a wide range of topics, from legal rights and rehabilitation programs to personal essays, poetry, and artwork.
Overcoming Challenges and Looking Ahead
Gaining approval for About Time wasn’t without hurdles.
“We have approval from Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania and the ACT, and tentative approval in South Australia, but we don't yet have approval from the other jurisdictions. We're working on showing those jurisdictions that this is a really valuable initiative and encouraging them to jump on board,” says Joseph.
Joseph’s vision extends beyond print. He sees About Time as a multimedia platform that could include a radio station accessible to incarcerated people. The paper will be read on Vision Australia Radio, bridging the gap between incarcerated individuals and the broader community.
At the moment, About Time’s priority is building a team and achieving sustainability.
“We're in the process of bringing on board 10 to 15 volunteers who are going to help with all sorts of things. We also have a bunch of contributors, but ultimately our aim is to raise enough money to hire people who are formerly incarcerated to really take charge of the newspaper,” confirms Joseph.
What’s already confirmed is that this alumnus’s commitment to social justice and storytelling has transformed a legal career into a powerful force for change.