How are you going today?
Get it off your chest.
A few minutes, whenever you need it. Put down what you're carrying.
Which best describes you?
This helps show the right information. You can change it any time.
Everything you enter stays on this device. It isn't sent anywhere. This device may be shared or checked, so don't write names or anything you wouldn't want someone else to read. Unladen Inside is a prototype. It is not a medical or emergency service and is not connected to Corrective Services NSW or any correctional centre. · Give feedback
Take a moment.
Find somewhere as quiet as you can. If it feels like too much, tell an officer, a nurse or the chaplain. That's allowed.
Breathe with this
What you might be feeling
- Shaky, sick, or a racing heart
- Numb, or oddly calm
- Tearful, angry, or both
- Going over what you could have done differently
These are normal reactions. They usually settle over hours or days.
If someone hurt or threatened you
It isn't your fault. Get checked by health staff if you're hurt, and tell an officer you trust. You can ask for protection or a move. The Official Visitor and the Ombudsman are independent if it isn't dealt with.
Ground yourself
Look around. Name them, out loud or in your head.
Who to tell
Add people you trust in so they're here when you need them.
Not sure who to tell?
If you don't feel safe telling an officer, there are other people you can go to: health staff, the chaplain, an Official Visitor or Legal Aid. Or write down what happened, just for you.
What helps after
How are you going?
A few minutes, any time of day. Notice what you're carrying, then put down what you can.
Please talk to someone now
You said you've had thoughts of harming yourself or not wanting to be here. Please tell an officer, a nurse or any staff member now. If you're in your cell, press the cell alarm.
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This device isn't letting the page save. Your result shows here but won't be kept.
If someone hurt or threatened you
It isn't your fault. Get checked by health staff if you're hurt, and tell an officer you trust. You can ask for protection or a move. The Official Visitor and the Ombudsman are independent if it isn't dealt with.
Looking after your dog
Your dog showed signs the visit was hard. Give them a rest day, keep the next visit short, and talk to your program's assessor if the signs keep showing.
Your safety
You said you didn't feel fully safe today. That matters. Tell an officer you trust, a nurse or the chaplain. You can ask for protection or a move. The Official Visitor is independent of the prison.
Look after your body
You said you've got very little energy left. Rest if you can, drink water and eat what you can. Ask to see a nurse if you feel unwell.
What might help
People you can talk to
This isn't a medical assessment. It's a way to notice how you're going over time.
How it's been going
Last 14 days
Check-ins
This device isn't letting the page save, so check-ins won't be kept.
Privacy & your data
Add a PIN, download what you've entered, or delete everything from this device.
Getting through hard days inside
What helps, in plain words. Tap a heading to open it.
If you're thinking of hurting yourself
A lot of people have these thoughts inside. You're not weak or bad for having them, and they can pass.
- Tell someone now: an officer, a nurse, the chaplain or anyone on staff.
- If you're in your cell, press the cell alarm.
- Staff have to act to keep you safe. That can mean extra checks for a while. It's meant to keep you safe, not to punish you.
- Health staff can help with what's behind it.
After bad news from home
Bad news hits harder inside. You can't be there, and you may have to wait for the next call.
- Tell an officer or the chaplain what's happened.
- Ask whether you can make an extra phone call.
- Write down what you want to say before your next call.
- It's OK not to be OK.
When someone you love dies
Grieving inside is hard. You may not be able to go to the funeral, and people around you may not know.
- Tell the chaplain or a staff member you trust.
- Ask about going to the funeral or a service, or watching it another way. It isn't always possible, but you can ask.
- Mark it in your own way: write a letter, draw, or say a few words.
- Grief comes in waves, sometimes for months.
Court, legal and parole stress
Waiting on court, sentencing or parole can take over your head.
- Write down your questions for your lawyer.
- Legal Aid NSW is a free call on the prison phone: dial #2.
- Keep your days as normal as you can: sleep, food, exercise.
- Bad news from court is a shock. Tell someone, and ask to see a nurse if it's too much.
If you don't feel safe
Being hurt or threatened isn't your fault.
- Get checked by health staff if you're hurt.
- Tell an officer you trust. You can ask for protection or a move.
- If it isn't dealt with, the Official Visitor and the NSW Ombudsman are independent of the prison.
- Feeling on edge or not sleeping afterwards is common.
Lockdowns and long time in cell
Long hours in cell can make everything feel bigger.
- Keep a routine: get up, wash, move and eat at the same times.
- Move your body: push-ups, stretches, walking the cell.
- Use your tablet for learning, music or programs if you can.
- When it builds up, breathe with the Help now screen.
Missing family and visits
Missing a visit or a call can hurt for days.
- It's often not about you. Travel, money and work get in the way for families.
- Write a letter or message, even if you don't send it.
- Families can get support too, from the Community Restorative Centre and Shine for Kids.
Getting ready for release
Getting out is a big change, and the first weeks are often the hardest.
- Start planning early with your case officer: housing, ID, Centrelink, medication and a GP.
- The Community Restorative Centre helps people with housing and settling in after prison.
- Lifeline (13 11 14) and 13YARN (13 92 76) are there 24/7 once you have a phone.
- If it's hard out there, that's normal. Reach out early.
Signs you're carrying too much
- Not sleeping, or sleeping all day
- Angry or on edge a lot
- Not eating
- Pulling away from everyone
- Using to cope
These are common inside. They're signs you need support, not signs you're weak.
What helps inside
- A routine, even a small one
- Moving your body every day
- Learning something: a course, reading, a skill
- Staying in touch with people who are good for you
- Talking to someone before it builds up
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Connection to culture, family and community matters. Ask about an Aboriginal support officer, visits from elders, or cultural programs at your centre.
When to get more help
If you've been carrying a heavy load for a couple of weeks, you're not sleeping, or you're using to cope, ask to see the nurse or the mental health team. It's what they're there for.
People to talk to
Save the people you trust. They stay on this device and show up on the Help now screen.
Support inside, and when you're out
Other people you can talk to
You don't have to go through one officer. Here are other people you can talk to, inside and out. You choose what to do, and when.
From your centre
Your centre or program can add its own support contacts here.
People you can go to
- Health staff. Ask to see a nurse or the mental health team. What you tell them is kept private, except where someone's safety is at risk.
- A chaplain. For people of any faith or none.
- A psychologist or program staff. Put in a request, or ask your case officer.
- Aboriginal support. An Aboriginal support officer, delegate or elder, if your centre has one.
- An Official Visitor. Independent of the prison. They visit every fortnight and can raise problems for you.
- The Corrective Services Support Line. A free call on the prison phone: dial #1, weekdays 9am to 3:30pm.
- Legal Aid NSW. A free call on the prison phone: dial #2, for legal help.
- The NSW Ombudsman. Independent. You can complain if a problem isn't fixed inside.
- Family and friends. A call or visit can help. Your family can get support too.
When you're released
Letters to the Commissioner of Corrective Services or the Minister are delivered unopened.
Spiritual and religious support
Chaplains visit most correctional centres. They support people of any faith or none. Their role is to listen, not to persuade. You can also ask to see someone from your own faith or culture.
Some people find strength in prayer or faith. Others find it in exercise, art, music or learning. Whatever gives you meaning counts.
Words to start with
The first sentence is often the hardest. You could say:
"I'm not coping and I need to talk to someone."
"I've had bad news from home and I need some time."
"I don't feel safe on this wing."
"Can this stay between us? What would you have to pass on?"
What happens if I tell someone?
- If you say you might hurt yourself, or you're not safe, staff have to act. That can mean extra checks or a move for a while. It's there to keep you safe.
- Health staff keep what you tell them private, except where someone's safety is at risk.
- Official Visitors and the Ombudsman are independent of the prison.
- This app: what you type stays on this device. The device may be shared or checked, so don't write anything you wouldn't want someone else to read.
Not ready to tell anyone?
That's OK. You can write down what happened, just for yourself, and decide later.
Services are for New South Wales. Check with staff for what your centre offers.
Write down what happened
Write down what happened, in your own words. Be careful: this device may be shared or checked, so don't write anything you wouldn't want someone else to read. Notes like this can help later if you talk to a lawyer, an Official Visitor or the Ombudsman.
My entries
Entries can't be edited, so each one shows when it was written. To add something, write a new entry.
No entries yet.
If you decide to share it, you can download it or send it to yourself.
Your phone, your data
PIN lock
Ask for a PIN when the app opens, and after it has been in the background for a minute.
PIN is on.
The PIN stops someone else opening the app on your phone. It doesn't encrypt what's stored, so keep your phone locked too. If you forget it, you can delete everything and start again.
Hide the screen
Tap the eye button at the top of any screen to cover the app straight away, for example if someone walks past. Tap to come back, or enter your PIN if you've set one.
Download my data
Download or copy what you've entered. Only do this if you know where it will go.
Delete everything
Deletes your check-ins, private record, contacts and PIN from this device.
Delete everything from this device? This can't be undone.
About Unladen Inside
Unladen Inside is a prototype made by Co-Synthesist Pty Ltd, Newcastle NSW. It isn't a medical or emergency service, and it isn't connected to Corrective Services NSW or any correctional centre. It would need approval from Corrective Services before it's used in any centre. The questions haven't been clinically validated yet.
What's stored: your check-ins, private record, contacts and settings, only on this device. Nothing is sent anywhere. The device may be shared or checked, so the PIN is there to help, but don't rely on it.
Feedback: the feedback form is the only part of Unladen Inside that sends anything, and only when you press Send. It doesn't include anything else from the app.
Keep in mind: if you clear your browser data or the device is reset, what you've entered goes too.
Version 0.3 prototype · September 2026