Volunteer Haircut Service at Adelaide Women’s Prison
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Adelaide Women's Prison Haircut Service: Before the First Cut
Before the first cut, the volunteers and hairdressers completed fingerprint and iris registration, then counted and logged every pair of scissors, every comb and every set of clippers. That is what entering Adelaide Women's Prison requires, and it is the precondition for the service existing at all. On 21 January 2026 the haircuts began.
Reason of Adelaide Women's Prison haircut service started
The service is a collaborative effort between Tzu Chi volunteers and professional hairdressers. The initiative was inspired by Tzu Chi volunteer, Mui Quach, whose daughter, Phuong Ngan Quach works as a social worker at the prison. Upon learning of the volunteer haircut activities conducted during Tzu Chi Family Day, Ngan recognised that the same need existed inside.
The need was real. The prison's previous charitable haircut service had been suspended for two years, and requests for it to resume had been made repeatedly over that period. Tzu Chi took up the gap.
What a haircut does, beyond the haircut
The aim of the service is specific: to help participants keep a tidy appearance. Clean, well-cut hair affects how a person feels that day, and it connects to a sense of self-worth and to general wellbeing. A single appointment can act directly on all of that.
It also carries a message worth stating plainly: the community outside has not forgotten the people here.
Strict procedure is what makes an unhurried session possible
To keep the program safe and workable, volunteers and hairdressers coordinate closely with prison management and follow institutional protocols throughout.
Before entry, all volunteers and hairdressers complete biometric registration, including fingerprint and iris scanning, and submit their styling tools for itemised checking. The two-hour sessions are held in the prison's well-lit education centre, with correctional staff present throughout.
The first session focused on basic hair trims to ensure that as many participants as possible could be attended to within the available time. The atmosphere was calm, and 30 participants were cooperative. Several individuals smiled at their reflections once their haircuts were finished, which is the moment that the two volunteers and four hairdressers remember most vividly.
"Do things with love and live with gratitude." — Jing Si Aphorisms
Reason of Adelaide Women's Prison haircut service started
The service is a collaborative effort between Tzu Chi volunteers and professional hairdressers. The initiative was inspired by Tzu Chi volunteer, Mui Quach, whose daughter, Phuong Ngan Quach works as a social worker at the prison. Upon learning of the volunteer haircut activities conducted during Tzu Chi Family Day, Ngan recognised that the same need existed inside.
The need was real. The prison's previous charitable haircut service had been suspended for two years, and requests for it to resume had been made repeatedly over that period. Tzu Chi took up the gap.
What a haircut does, beyond the haircut
The aim of the service is specific: to help participants keep a tidy appearance. Clean, well-cut hair affects how a person feels that day, and it connects to a sense of self-worth and to general wellbeing. A single appointment can act directly on all of that.
It also carries a message worth stating plainly: the community outside has not forgotten the people here.
Strict procedure is what makes an unhurried session possible
To keep the program safe and workable, volunteers and hairdressers coordinate closely with prison management and follow institutional protocols throughout.
Before entry, all volunteers and hairdressers complete biometric registration, including fingerprint and iris scanning, and submit their styling tools for itemised checking. The two-hour sessions are held in the prison's well-lit education centre, with correctional staff present throughout.
The first session focused on basic hair trims to ensure that as many participants as possible could be attended to within the available time. The atmosphere was calm, and 30 participants were cooperative. Several individuals smiled at their reflections once their haircuts were finished, which is the moment that the two volunteers and four hairdressers remember most vividly.
"Do things with love and live with gratitude." — Jing Si Aphorisms
Goodwill across a wall
This service goes beyond mere physical grooming; it fosters a genuine exchange between volunteers and those they serve. It exemplifies how a community organisation can collaborate effectively with the correctional system. When both sides are committed to the process, care can reach individuals in places where it is often lacking.
With the first session complete, the tool inventory has been recorded. The Tzu Chi Adelaide Office hopes to continue this service on a quarterly basis, ensuring that returning participants can expect the same support each time.