Today, I'd like to draw your attention to an inspiring beacon of change, resilience, and empathy - Joe Kwon, the CEO and Founder of Confit Pathways. His journey demonstrates that individuals who have lived through crime, prison, and adversity can teach us invaluable lessons about resilience, change, and empathy.

Joe's story began within the confines of a prison cell, where he found a lifeline in higher education. This opportunity ignited a spark, leading him to graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce degree and later establish Confit Pathways. This phenomenal organisation is dedicated to reducing recidivism among young people in Australia by offering mentorship, education, and employment opportunities, aiming to foster transformational change in all aspects of their lives. ^{1 2}

Joe understands the importance of strong mentors and the doors that education can open, thanks to his own personal experience. His mission with Confit Pathways is to provide a sense of community and support to people both in and out of custody, helping them leverage their lived experiences and resilience. His goal is to create a positive environment for these young people to thrive, with the support network of Confit Pathways around them.

But Joe's mission and Confit Pathways' initiatives represent only one piece of the puzzle. If we are to bring about broader, systemic change in our society, particularly in tackling recidivism, we need to learn from the world of business where innovation often springs from a proportionate amount of risk. Consider the stark reality once a child becomes entangled in the system, nine out of ten will continue to be criminalised.¹ If such a rate of failure were observed in companies like Facebook or Tesla, it would be deemed unacceptable. It should be equally intolerable in our social systems.

To achieve transformative change, we must channel the same level of resources, intelligence, and commitment that drive successes in the business world into our social systems. We need to build relentless teams of knowledgeable individuals who are deeply invested in fixing the system. We must be courageous enough to seek out, nurture, and support innovative programs like Confit Pathways that address the root causes of these issues.

By doing so, we are not just helping individuals transform their lives; we are also paving the way for a more compassionate, understanding, and equitable society. Let's learn from the Joes of the world and incorporate their insights into our policy and program design. Let's support them and others like them who are driving change from within the system, using their lived experiences as a catalyst.

Joe's story, and those of many others who have walked a similar path, should be a wake-up call to us all. They are the change-makers we need, the voices we need to listen to, and the leaders we need to support. The world needs more people like Joe who have the courage to transform their lives and the lives of others around them. They are the change-makers we need, the voices we need to listen to, and the leaders we need to support.

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UNSW partners with Confit Pathways | Inside UNSW

New initiative seeks to improve access to university for young people in youth justice centres. Confit Pathways CEO and Founder, Joe Kwon, was accepted into UNSW while he was in prison.

ConFit- Convict Fitness

Our mission is to break down negative criminal stereotypes by creating holistic fitness communities and offering incredible training sessions and helping formerly incarcerated inmates to transform their lives.

Queensland’s draconian approach to youth justice sets kids up to fail | Ben Smee

Tightened bail laws have led to a spike in children being imprisoned – the long-term damage caused by short-term, vote-chasing politics

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