Second Chances for prisoner's children on borrowed time

Oscar* is just 12 years old, but has already faced some incredibly harrowing challenges. 

He has seen both of his parents jailed, has faced bullying and is now experiencing homelessness with his mum.

"We got kicked out," Oscar told ABC News. 

Oscar and his mother are trying to turn a new leaf with the help of Second Chances — an organisation that, despite expanding its services, is now facing an uncertain future.

Second Chances has been informed that, as of the end of the year, it will no longer receive state government funding, with the Department of Human Services citing budget constraints for the funding cut.

The not-for-profit recently launched a multi-agency hub to support the families of prisoners, those experiencing domestic violence or homelessness, and people leaving the prison system — the first of its kind in SA.

Helping children with incarcerated parents is an important part of breaking intergenerational cycles, Second Chances director Sam Narroway said.

"It's not their crime, it's not their fault. They are affected," he said.

"They're the invisible victim of crime as well, so it's being able to help them to break the cycle of entering the justice system."

The organisation is assisting Oscar and his mother with temporary accommodation and helping sort house inspections, while supporting Oscar with school and other challenges he faces.

"When we do find a house, it'll be very nice to have a nice space, a nice room, a big room hopefully,"

he said.

Youth worker Billie Bayre said she had also been working with Oscar on his goals and an action plan to achieve them.

"I've always wanted to kind of be that person that I didn't have when I was little, so if I can be that person for another kid or anyone really, I've done my job," she said.

"We're just that helping hand to help them handle all of the ugly side of [life] and get them on the right track."

Organisation filling gaps

Second Chances director Sam Narroway is no stranger to turning his life around. 

A former prisoner, who has also experienced homelessness, said his lived experience inspired him to make a difference for vulnerable people, like he had been in his younger years.

"What we're trying to do is bring all the organisations in the area, in the southern suburbs of Adelaide into one hub," he said.

He said people were struggling with a system that bounced them around to different organisations — adding to the confusion and frustration for some of the state's most vulnerable community members.

"We want everyone to [be able to] come to one safe location that is comfortable for them where they can walk in the door, have a coffee, have some lunch and see all the services that they need," he said.

As well as offering support services, the hub is also home to an op shop, a second-hand furniture warehouse and the Orange Basket cafe which provides employment opportunities for people living with disabilities.

Mr Narroway said the organisation had planned to expand the hub with a mezzanine area, pending approval.

"We're going to have trauma counsellors, financial counsellors, training rooms for other agencies to deliver trainings like short courses … every service that you would possibly need … we want to have under one roof," he said.

Government to cut funding

Mr Narroway said the threat to funding had come despite the government directly referring people to the charity for support.

The current arrangement funds a youth service, with the organisation relying on donations for its other programs.

But Mr Narroway said the loss of funding could mean the end of the organisation altogether.

"Working with the justice industry, we're a very niche industry that not a lot of people like looking at,"

he said.

When ABC News asked the state government about the funding cuts faced by the organisation, the government said it was now looking at options to continue to offer a funding arrangement.

"Second Chances is currently funded until the end of the 2026 calendar year, and the government is exploring options that may see that partnership continue," the statement read.

Mr Narroway said the end of Second Chances would add pressure to an already struggling system.

"Domestic violence and homelessness [services are] very, very stretched at the moment — all of the agencies working in those areas are extremely overloaded," he said.

"We've been open here for about six months now and we're getting approximately about 100 people a day coming through these doors."

He said properly funding rehabilitation services would also help reduce recidivism and trauma within the community — ultimately saving taxpayer money.

"I do believe that we will be safer in the long run if we are able to invest in the justice system to be able to rehabilitate people," he said.

And for Oscar, some additional support has made a world of difference.

"I want to have a lifestyle that's fun, enjoyable, memorable and a good lifestyle ahead of me," he said. 

He said he wanted to see other young people in situations like his get the help they needed to thrive.

"I reckon, just everyone should have someone to talk to … and have their own space to just do what they dream of," he said.

Mr Narroway said intervention was crucial to break cycles of harm. 

"That's why we have our youth team and are trying to break that intergenerational trauma — because if we don't break it, they're going to end up like other people in their families, where they're masking with drugs, mixing in the wrong crowd, running around at night-time on the streets, and the consequences of all these things are committing crime and going to prison," Mr Narroway said.

"But being able to assist those people … I think that's a fantastic thing that a lot more people need to be doing."