5 minute read
From crime to compassion: Louie Liu’s journey and his scholarship for formerly incarcerated students
In an inspiring interview, Louie Liu, a registered physiotherapist and two-time Charles Sturt alumnus, shares his remarkable journey from a life of crime to establishing a scholarship for students who have experienced incarceration. Louie’s story is one of resilience, transformation, and a commitment to giving back to the community.
Louie Liu grew up in Marrickville during the 1990’s, a time when the area was notorious as the drug den of Australia. Despite having a caring family and a well-provided upbringing, Louie found himself drawn into a life of crime. By the age of 16, he was involved in gang activities, selling stolen goods and drugs. His descent into more serious criminal activities led to his first drug-induced psychosis at 20 years old, resulting in a three-month stay in a psychiatric unit.
In 2002, Louie’s criminal activities caught up with him, and he was arrested for a robbery-related offence. He was sentenced to five years, serving three years in gaol and two years on parole. However, this experience did not deter him from returning to a life of crime. After his release, he became involved in organised crime, importing drugs from overseas. This led to another episode of drug-induced psychosis in 2006 - and a subsequent suicide attempt.
A turning point in prison
Louie’s second incarceration in 2009, for drug importation, marked a significant turning point. Sentenced to seven and a half years, he served five years in prison and two and a half years on parole. During this time, the structured environment of prison helped settle his mental health issues and provided him with the opportunity to study. Louie completed his Certificate 4 in Cooking, which allowed him to find a job quickly upon his release.
A pivotal moment in Louie’s transformation was his involvement in the Pups in Prison program, now known as Defence Community Dog. This program, where inmates trained pups to become companion dogs for ex-defence personnel suffering from PTSD, allowed Louie to take on a positive role for the first time in his life. This experience showed him that even people in special forces could suffer from poor mental health, inspiring him to pursue a new path.
After his release from prison, Louie saved money by working as a chef and started personal training at Bathurst TAFE. Encouraged by his head teacher, he applied for Exercise and Sport Science at Charles Sturt and was accepted. Despite the challenges of studying with a poor educational foundation, he persevered, eventually entering the Charles Sturt physiotherapy program. He credits his journey to hard work, persistence, and the support of his family.
Paying it forward
“Education created a world worth living in for me, that is why I have approached Charles Sturt University to set up the scholarship, with the intention to give both a financial and morale boost to those who are facing similar challenges,” Louie explains.
Understanding the obstacles faced by formerly incarcerated individuals, Louie has established a scholarship to support students who have experienced incarceration. He believes that education and support can provide a pathway to a better future, just as it did for him. Louie’s scholarship aims to give others the chance to transform their lives, just as he did.
“For me, study was ten times harder than gaol. I believe people with similar experiences to me would likely have a very poor foundation in study, as our foundations are built on drug habits, poor concentration, poor stress management, poor technology skills and poor study habits,” he says.
“I firmly believe that the person that I can help change through this scholarship will change the world.”
Charles Sturt University hosted the ‘Breaking Barriers: a Breakfast for Reform and Opportunity’ event on Thursday, 14 November, at the Bloomfield Medical Centre in Orange.
The event served as a launch event for the scholarship. It was aimed to foster empathy and inspire action to support prisoner reform initiatives and promote higher education for individuals transitioning from incarceration to reintegration.
Alongside Louie, guest speakers included Bernhard Ripperger, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Community, Industry and Capacity and Charles Sturt University’s Dr John Gaffey, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, who provided insights into the challenges and triumphs faced by those reintegrating into society from incarceration.
The event also featured an auction of artworks from Girrawaa Arts Centre, an Indigenous Arts Centre in the Bathurst Correctional Facility, and participation from the Department of Communities and Justice alongside NSW Corrective Services, with proceeds supporting the Reformer New Start Scholarships.
Louie’s journey from crime to care is a testament to the power of resilience and the impact of positive support systems. His scholarship for formerly incarcerated students offers a second chance to those who need it most. You can help Louie by contributing to the New Start Reformer Scholarship fund here: https://bit.ly/3CdVuKc
I firmly believe that the person that I can help change through this scholarship will change the world.
Louie Liu Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science, 2018; Bachelor of Physiotherapy, 2024.
