Outside Chance (ATOM Study Guide)

Outside Chance is a five-part observational documentary series about a group of young men, many of Indigenous heritage, who are prisoners in Woorooloo, a Western Australian minimum-security prison currently housing a total of 360 inmates in a 're-entry' facility environment. Over the course of a year, this particular group of prisoners will participate in a groundbreaking rehabilitation program involving Australian Rules football. The lessons they will take away from this are intended to prepare them for a second chance at life 'on the outside'. Many of the inmates are in the final stages of their sentences and the program hopes to foster the skills required of football players, such as self-discipline and teamwork, which are necessary skills for everyday life post-prison. Under the scrutiny of a wary public and the watchful eyes of the prison administration, these young men set out to change their lives for the better. But they must train hard and play even harder if they want to stay in the team, and of course on-field and off-field behaviour must be impeccable. Narrated by veteran AFL player Andrew Krakouer, himself a former inmate, we watch the prison team – or 'V Swans' as the team are called – battle through a number of difficulties, successes, highs and lows to finish the year with the program intact. The program is a success – for some. Is there only an 'outside chance' that these young men will learn to curb their former destructive behaviours and rehabilitate? A few will throw away their opportunities; a few will make the most of them. As Steve Nowotny, Woorooloo's Recreational Officer, observes, 'this is not a perfect story'.

Curriculum Links:
This series has curriculum appropriateness for students in Years 10–12 in the subject areas of English, Media & Film Studies, Civics and Citizenship, and Australian History.