For yourself

Transcription - Ollie

(young man walks into a field in the dark and looks up at the sky)

Ollie voice over: I didn't know if they're going to arrest me on the spot, I didn't know if my whole life was gone. That was definitely the worst feeling in my life.

Text on moving image: ESP SPOTLIGHT: OLLIE

Text on black slide: Ollie became vulnerable to violent extremism during COVID-19. This is his story.

(montage of Ollie by the fireplace, looking up at the sky, hands scrolling on a mobile phone, hands on a keyboard and back of head with gaming headset)

Ollie voice over: I was in high school, I was studying, I’d just moved schools. I was on the school rugby team. Had a lot of friends.

In 2020 that's when Covid started. I was definitely feeling resentful. My dad had become redundant at work.

And that meant my family was getting no money. And yeah, it's just really stressful time at home. I was stuck on the internet. I didn't have much to do.

I was spending a lot of my time on Discord, it was becoming more and more extreme, and then it moved into more of a community kind of thing rather than just looking at memes.

And once I got involved in the community, it's where things became more radical. I've certainly always been more right wing.

However, it just got way blown out of proportion. I felt like I lost control. I found the power and the attention addictive.

I found a community of people online who are equally as resentful to the system for their own reasons. And then when the second lockdown started, I found the Foodists and it got a lot more crazy. I got a lot more involved. This time I got more resentful.

I got very angry and I didn't care anymore. I was 16 years old, 15 years old. My brain was still developing. I was not fully aware of the outcomes that occured from it. I didn't know how severe they went, and I did not know how seriously it gets taken.

Text on black slide: Ollie never understood the seriousness of his activity online until law enforcement knocked on his door

(montage of Ollie sitting by the fire over shoulder shot, Ollie loading wood on the fire)

Ollie voice over: I woke up early for school one morning. I had an extension maths class early, was having a shower and I saw three people right in front of me, I didn't know what was happening. I was very scared and they told me to go to my room and put clothes on.

I followed the police to where my dad was at the table. They started showing me the court order they had to seize my devices. And, while I just sat there and didn't know what to do. It lasted from about 730 in the morning all the way to about 5 p.m., they were in my house.

My family was probably the part the made me the saddest for them to have to have police in the house. That was definitely the worst feeling in my life.

(montage of white truck driving at dusk, hand on steering wheel, over shoulder shot of fire, opening bonnet of car and tinkering with engine, walking inside a house, hands playing chess by the fire, walking outside in dark and looking up at sky)

Ollie voice over: I joined the program, as was recommended by the police who came to my door. the ESP were able to help me calm down. They were able to offer me services I needed being able to talk to someone about it, because in the few months between November when they came to my door and when I joined the program about January February, I had no one to talk to you. And it was a very, very stressful time for me. I was able to develop some coping skills for a lot of the stress also. And I developed resilience.

And that allowed me with new coping skills, to go make some friends. I was able to then go find and people I really do like going camping with my friends. I've been doing some parts of a real life. We help each other build our cars.

I was able to yeah, find a good job I got an opportunity to be promoted and I really enjoyed that. The ESP were able to help me with my parents. I would have struggled a lot more with them.

Thanks to the ESP They changed my life.

Any political community which is negative, it's just terrible for your health. It just dramatically effects the way you see the world. It affects everything you do. And yeah, it's just important that you stay positive, do things which help you and don't spend all day online.

It's not healthy. They need to stop. Even if they feel that they can’t stop. They need to stop and they need to reach out for help. If they can't, that need to be taught how permanent things are online.

It's better to get help than someone having to help you get out of prison or get out of a court case. I don't think it would have made the same progress without the ESP

And because of the knowledge I’ve learned throughout the ESP I certainly would recommend it to people who are in dark communities and having a really tough time.

I would certainly recommend the ESP as it has helped me, and I came from a pretty rough situation. I was able to come back into society. I think it's really important that everyone has a chance to do it before it’s too late.

Text on black slide: Contact ESP on: 1800 203 966

[email protected]  

End of transcript.

Text of moving image: Spotlight on Interventions

Scott voice over: Everyone thought I would fail. Even the statistics would show that I would fail. But here I am.

Text on black slide: The following film occasionally contains strong language and adult themes, which may be unsuitable for children. Viewer discretion is advised.

New black slide: Scott had a troubled upbringing with no stable family structure. He suffered from neglect, abuse, and lacked a sense of belonging.

(Garage door opens to reveal motorbike in silhouette of Scott moving towards it. Scott's face is not visible at any time in the video.)

Scott voice over: Me background. Fuck. I came from jail, an outlaw motorcycle club, jail, violence, drugs, you name it.

Text over moving image: In his teens he had low self-esteem and resentment towards his siblings of diverse backgrounds.

(Scott's silhouette gets on and starts the motorbike)

(Close up montage of Scott's hands on the motorbike and the motorbike)

Scott voice over: When I was younger, riding with the club, it was fuckin' awesome. I loved it. Partying, the women, the bikes, the drugs, but there's only so much your body can take, and there's only so much jail you can take. I was searching for that family, that brotherhood, that sense of belonging, which is what everyone else is searching for that does end up with the club.

(Wide shot of the silhouette of Scott sitting on the bike.)

Scott voice over: But they're not there for you when you're in jail. They're not there helping you when you get out.

Text over moving image: Within custody, gang membership offered Scott security, a sense of group belonging, moral superiority, status and respect.

New text over moving image: In addition a pathway toward formal membership in OMCGs.

(Close up of Scott's hands. He is sitting down and his hands move while he is talking. )

Scott voice over: When you've done as long as I've done, you're either gonna end up dead, doing life, or murder.

(Close up of Scott rolling a cigarette.)

Text over moving image: When Scott was released from prison in 2020 he had spent his entire adult life behind bars, never having spent more than 3 months at a time a free man.

Text over moving image: He was focussed on a “new life” for himself.

(Montage of Scott lighting and smoking a cigarette on balcony.)

Scott voice over: When I go out, like I was really struggling. When you've done over a decade in jail, learning all of these new skills and life skills that everyone does, you know, day to day, for someone that's in my position, and like other people's position that are gonna look at doing this program, it is hard. It is scary.

(Rain falling on tree tops)

Text over moving image:  When Scott agreed to work with the intervention program he had no family or friends, no identification, no home and no licence.

New text over moving image: His basic living and communication skills were lacking and he was anxious, overwhelmed and frustrated.

 (Montage. Close up of Scott's arms and hands with his hands move while he is talking. Full shot of Scott's silhouette.

He is sitting on a chair in the middle of a lounge room.)

Scott voice over: When you've been in jail for that long, getting out and only knowing one thing, hit the ground running back to the old life, back to the old crew, back to the same drug shit.

Once, like leaving that, it was really hard. I was actually lucky to be on the program with the assistance and the help that I did get. I don't care what anyone says. It's fucken gonna be the hardest journey you're ever gonna go on, especially leaving that whole life behind and starting this new life.

I wish this program come along fucking eight lagons ago.

Everyone thought I would fail.

Even the statistics would show that I would fail.

But here I am.

I've got a beautiful partner now. I've worked really hard for what I've got now. I've got an awesome job.

I've still got the program that support me. When I'm having them shit days, I'll ring up and have a whinge and carry on,

(Montage of Scott on Balcony looking through Harley Davidson brochure and close up of Scott's hands moving while he is talking )

Scott voice over: and, you know, sometimes all you need to hear is someone else's story of success, even failure, you know what I mean, to maybe push you in the right direction of making your mind up.

 (Montage. Close up of Scott's mouth, arms and hands with his hands move while he is talking. Full shot of Scott's silhouette. He is sitting on a chair in the middle of a lounge room.)

Scott voice over: Once you do want to change your life, it's only onward and upward.

You might stumble and fall, but it's only for a couple of seconds, where if you're back in that life, and you stumble and fall, it could be for five years, it could be for 10 years. Fuck. It could even be 20.

(Montage of Scott on Balcony looking through Harley Davidson brochure and close up of Scott's hands moving while he is talking.)

Scott voice over: This program turned my life around completely. I'm actually a productive member of society now, which, fuck, if you had said that five years ago,

(Close up of a flying wooden bird hanging on the balcony)

Scott voice over: everyone would've said you're full of shit. And if that opportunity is there for you to take, I'd take it.

Text on black slide: Australian Government.   

End of transcript.