Geelong woman Christine Picone reveals how she turned her life around after jail time, how laundry job supported her

Once imprisoned for assault, Christine Picone says a job at Geelong’s largest commercial laundry helped turn her life around and give her hope. WATCH THE VIDEO

Geelong resident Christine Picone says she believes everything happens for a reason – even her own jail time.

Ms Picone was imprisoned in 2014 after being found guilty of intentionally causing serious injury.

In an altercation with a friend’s partner, she hit him with a vaccum cleaner pole.

“I jumped the fence, and after that, I don’t remember nothing,” the 49-year-old said of the aftermath.

Ms Picone said the laundry had been understanding and flexible when it came to her parole requirements after her prison time. Picture: Alison Wynd

Ms Picone said the hardest part of the experience was when she had to say goodbye to her kids before being “locked up”.

“I was told it was my last weekend, and ‘you’re going to be locked up, then sentenced’, so I had to prepare my kids,” she said.

Ms Picone said her adult son stayed at her house with her then-underage daughter for the duration of her prison sentence.

She served three years and four months of her initial six-year sentence, and was paroled in 2017.

Ms Picone said she was able to “find herself” through her prison sentence, and took advantage of women’s programs, anger management courses, and domestic violence awareness sessions.

Ms Picone said she was successfully paroled after being a “model prisoner”, and having a solid job waiting for her on the outside.

For close to a decade now, Ms Picone has been working at Geelong & Surfcoast Laundry, Geelong’s largest commercial laundry.

The business offers linen hire and laundry services, initially supplying to Geelong only, but eventually expanding to Melbourne and Ballarat businesses as well.

Starting out in the sorting team, Ms Picone was on the team for three years prior to her arrest.

Once released from prison, she was able to return, and has worked her way up.

She is now a team leader at the Newtown site, which washes more than 80 metric tonnes every week.

Ms Picone said she hoped other former prisoners were inspired to allow themselves a second chance. Picture: Alison Wynd

She said because the laundry employed a lot of people who had been down on their luck – whether they’d been out of work for a while, had been through the justice system, or were battling drug addiction – it was a very accepting and understanding workplace.

In her own experience, Ms Picone said it was daunting to join the team at first.

“The challenge was scary,” she said.

“But I enjoyed (it) … it gave me the opportunity to keep growing, and finding myself.

“I tell people I went from someone who didn’t talk, to someone who doesn’t stop.”

Ms Picone said she was proud of her personal journey, and being able to be a leader within the laundry, for both people who came from similar situations to her own, and those who had a completely different background.

Geelong & Surfcoast Laundry, in partnership with RapidClean Geelong, will be hosting a Trade Day on February 14.

The event, running from 12-2pm at 21-23 Gregory Ave, Newtown, will include suppliers stands, laundry tours, demonstrations, free samples, showbags, and a sausage sizzle.

For more information visit www.GeelongSurfcoastLaundry.com.au or www.RapidCleanGeelong.com.au

Originally published as Geelong woman Christine Picone reveals how she turned her life around after jail time, how laundry job supported her