Adland inmates released from prison after raising over $125K for UnLtd’s Adland Bail Out
80 advertising executives have been released from prison after spending the night in Yasmar Detention Centre in Sydney on 27 June.
The ‘inmates’ took part in UnLtd’s Adland Bail Out event to raise awareness and funds to break the cycle of youth incarceration. In order to be released the next morning, each participant was required to raise $1,250 as their ‘bail’.
The unique event gives participants a chance to briefly experience what life is like for young people in the juvenile justice system. The participants were lined up, interrogated and finger-printed before hearing emotional stories from young people with lived experience of incarceration and learning about better alternatives to prison. The ‘inmates’ then slept the night on the cold hard floors of the cells in the former detention centre.
In total, the event raised over $125,000 which will go towards UnLtd charity partners’ programs specifically designed to break the cycle of youth incarceration. The five biggest fundraisers were Justin ‘Curly’ Ladmore, Cathy O’Connor, Nick Bower, Yasmin ‘Yazzimoto’ Sanders and Paul ‘Siggy’ Sigaloff.
Says Yasmin Sanders, managing director of Samba TV: “What an emotional rollercoaster! From the moment we entered the detention centre, it didn’t take long before we felt institutionalised, after experiencing what it feels like to lose all control of your own life, be shouted at and made feel like you’re worth nothing. We only spent a night so I can only imagine the impact it would have on young people, some as young as 10 years old, spending years in these facilities. It was eye-opening to hear about the misconceptions around youth incarceration and uplifting to hear that there are better alternatives around that focus on prevention.”
The event also included some cameos from previous ‘inmates’ who returned to the event as Guards. Mark Watt, co-founder of Whitelion ruled the inmates as Chief Warden with Fiona Roberts, Paul Kent, Alexander Sandwith, Chris Freel and Ricky Chanana bossing the inmates around as Guards. The full list of participants and the fundraising leaderboard can be found at the event website at: https://shoutforgood.com/fundraisers/adlandbailout2024
Says Stephen Hunt, CEO of UnLtd: “As an inmate myself, it was an emotional and uncomfortable experience that exceeded all my expectations. The team and I are so grateful to everyone who braved the cold cells, listened generously to those with lived experience and helped raise much needed funds to keep kids out of jail. I’m confident that everyone who participated will have left the experience with a far deeper understanding of the issue and a desire to do more. There is a lot of work to be done to change the horrendous statistics around youth incarceration. Our industry has the potential to make a huge difference by changing perspectives and raising awareness about this important issue. That’s exactly what we plan to do from here!”
