Breaking Barriers: A Thriving Life Post-Prison
Meet Tahlia Isaac, a voice for women who are rebuilding their lives after incarceration.
Growing up, Tahlia struggled to find her place amongst her peers. She remembers never feeling “enough”. When her school friends ousted her, she spent lunchtimes trying to make herself as invisible as possible. Tahlia now reflects that she was “trapped in a cycle of not feeling enough and always trying to fit in.”
After graduating from high school, Tahlia enrolled in a business degree at QUT. She moved from a small town to Brisbane where the party life got the better of her. For the first time she felt cool; proud of her party girl label. What started out as recreational pills at festivals and lines of coke in bathrooms opened the door to more destructive and dangerous drug use. Ice became a daily burden and would continue to haunt her for the next ten years. Unlike others on the scene, Tahlia considered herself a ‘functional addict’ who was able to continue working and studying and therefore avoid the criminality of the drug world. After a violent relationship breakdown, Tahlia was left with two choices: sell drugs to survive or return home and start over. She made the wrong choice.
Tahlia was arrested in 2017 and spent the next 18 months on bail where she set about destroying her life. She then spent 10 months in Southeast Queensland Prisons. Tahlia describes her prison experience as “life altering – it changed the way I saw the world.” When she was released, tainted by her criminal record, finding work was almost impossible. Then, Covid hit. She decided to pack up her life in Brisbane and drive to Far North Queensland. “It was the best decision I ever made,” Tahlia says.
In a small town next to the ocean Tahlia now lives an idyllic life with her husband and one and three-year-old sons. She loves nothing more than being at the beach with her family.
Tahlia returned to her studies during the p, pursuing courses including a Master of Law, Criminology, and Criminal Justice before earning her graduate degree a year ago. She has used her study and life experiences to advocate for women since 2023 and this year started charity Project:herSELF. “I’m now CEO of the charity and my social enterprise Project:herVOICE.” By empowering women, Tahlia aims to reduce the rates of them reoffending. Part of her services include a 12-week program that supports women when they are released from prison.
Tahlia describes herself as “adaptable, persuasive and not what you would expect,” referring to the label formerly incarcerated women are sometimes given. She is open to sharing her story in the hope that she can “break down stigma and stereotypes. I want to show that by giving women like me opportunities to thrive, we can see increased social cohesion and economic performance.”
She admits sometimes feeling disillusioned by the “state of the world, especially for marginalised women,” but new ventures and ideas give her energy and optimism. She is proud of her never-give-up attitude and by continuing to improve her knowledge base, she has built up her self-confidence.
Tahlia remains committed to helping lift women up, describing them as “the glue that hold communities together. If we are excluding even one of them from being a valued member of society, we are really doing ourselves a disservice.”
Her life experiences combined with her academic achievements make Tahlia a strong voice in the areas of incarceration, addiction and starting over. She is an outgoing and vibrant speaker who can be booked here.
About the Author: Elizabeth Briskin is a passionate advocate for women's empowerment and social justice. Having previously held development board roles in the not-for-profit space, she is committed to using her skills to amplify the voices of trailblazing women.
