She is known for having founded Sisters Inside, an independent community organisation based in Queensland, Australia, that advocates for the human rights of women and girls in the criminal legal system.
[1] During the three years that she served of her sentence before her release in 1992, she began training as a social worker through the University of Queensland, determined to improve the situation of women and children in prison.
[3][4] Upon her release from prison in 1992, Kilroy started to establish Sisters Inside, an organisation dedicated to responding to the needs and human rights of criminalised women and the children affected by their imprisonment that were not being met by available services.
At first Sisters Inside was a small group run mostly by volunteers, but it has grown into a larger community-based organisation providing a range of services to many women and children in Queensland.
[9][10] Amendments to the WA legislation were passed in 2020, partly as result of the recommendation from the coronial inquiry into the death of Ms Dhu, who died in police custody.
[4] She names two other former prisoners as heroes of hers: Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi[14] She has said that there is a need to break down "racism, misogyny and sexism within the legal frameworks", and that harsher sentences are not the answer.
Failure to provide adequate income support, to support women leaving violent homes, to provide essential housing and health services, and to address multigenerational harm arising from colonisation.She engages in public debate and advocates for women on a range of issues, including violence, homelessness, racism, mental health, substance abuse, poverty, child protection, sexual assault, and failures in government systems.