THE TV documentary The Art of Incarceration tells the story of how art and culture can help First Nations people to transcend their unjust cycles of imprisonment.

Now, anyone with a Netflix subscription can watch this important story, told through the eyes of Indigenous prisoners at Victoria's Fulham Correctional Centre.

One of these individuals is Mildura resident, accomplished Aboriginal artist and singer-songwriter Robby Wirramanda.

Wirramanda, who represents Wergaia, Wamba Wamba, Barapa Barapa, Wadi Wadi, Dhudhuroa and Nyeri Nyeri bloodlines, was a champion fighter and was sentenced to six-and-a-half years' jail for drug trafficking.

The documentary follows his journey and how he used art to regain cultural identity and reshape his life.

During his time in prison, Wirramanda became a symbol of strength and hope to many inmates due to his successes as an artist, singer and songwriter, his work as a mentor and his dedication to culture, community and family.

"Basically the whole timeline of my whole life is in that documentary," Wirramanda said.

"Assessing every pivotal point throughout my life to see the moments that shape us and make us think or act in certain ways, which ultimately led myself to prison."

The documentary highlights sobering statistics charting the incarceration epidemic of Australia's First Peoples.

Indigenous Australians make up less than 3 per cent of the population, but account for 27 per cent of the adult prison population, with Indigenous youth making up 55 per cent of young people in detention.

The Art of Incarceration provides insight into these statistics and offers hope as inmates prepare for life on the outside, while using art to find spiritual healing.

Wirramanda said art could help imprisoned First Nations people regain their cultural identity.

"I have been doing art since I was a child, I'd simply just fallen back into it when I was in prison," he said.

"Anyone else can do the same as long as they go back and adjust those moments in time that shaped them."

He said the documentary helped explain why people acted certain ways or made certain choices.

"I think it is showing why some people are the way they are as well, the way society shapes us," he said.

"When people start asking questions – is it the person that's crazy or is the environment sick?

"We didn't build the environment. That was already there for us."

The Art of Incarceration was released globally on Netflix this month as the headline film for the streaming service's NAIDOC Week collection.

Writer, director and producer Alex Siddons said it had been a long road creating the film but he was glad it was now being streamed to a global audience.

"I'm proud that this important story will be available to a global audience on Netflix," he said.

"I'm grateful to everyone who contributed and supported us in completing the film.

"It is my hope that the film brings attention to the mass incarceration of Indigenous Australians in our criminal justice system, and effects urgent change."

Wirramanda, who is a co-producer for the documentary, said the pair worked on it for six years.

He said originally he was approached by a film company about a film on mixed martial arts, but declined as it wasn't part of his life anymore.

"I said it's not for me, I have made a change from that I didn't want to do the mixed martial arts stuff even though my wife and I built the first ever mixed martial arts gym and ran the first mixed martial arts shows and wrote the rules for the government of Victoria," he said.

"I mentioned art and Alex Siddons, he was interested in that, and he ended up leaving that film company and contacted me and we started that journey together."

Since the end of production, Wirramanda has continued to paint, holding his first solo exhibition at Melbourne's Metro Gallery in late 2020.

He also made global headlines in 2019 following a social media video that showed an angry confrontation with neighbours while he was painting in his garage in Mildura.

The Art of Incarceration is available to all Netflix subscribers.