A group of Muslim prisoners forms a neat line with their heads bowed in prayer.
The group, led by Altaf Hussain, has gathered in the multi-faith chapel at Hopkins Correctional Centre in Ararat.
Imam Hussain, a former Ararat abattoir worker, became a full-time Imam six years ago and now provides emotional and religious support to many Muslim prisoners throughout Victoria, including five hours per fortnight at Hopkins.
"[I am] teaching them, guiding them, educating them, which is most important for their improvement and rehabilitation," Imam Hussain said.
According to the Imam, one of the biggest challenges of working with prisoners was drug use.
"They are making efforts; sometimes they fall down, sometimes they get up; it's a constant struggle for everybody," he said.
Imam Hussain said while many prisoners found the strength to stay clean in prison through prayer, once they returned to the outside world, old habits could return.
According to Nail Aykan, executive director of the Islamic Council of Victoria, Muslims make up about 10 per cent of the state's prison population with the majority of their sentences due to drug-related offences.
"The number one reason is ice. Ice is far more of an issue for the Muslim community than ISIS," Mr Aykan said.
He said many prisoners who identified as Muslim tended to be young and were born in Australia.
"The majority of them are between the 20 to 30 age bracket, so they're young, very young, and that cohort are generally third generation and born in Australia," Mr Aykan said.
Thirty-year old Ali (not his real name) said his faith helped him keep away from drugs and violence in prison.
He said even though the prevalence of drugs, which he described as "evil", was greater on the outside, resisting the temptation was harder in prison.
"You're stuck between four walls and it's in your face," Ali said.
Currently seven years into his 12-year sentence for rape, Ali said although born a Muslim it was only in jail that he began practising the religion.
"You have all the time in the world to think about things," he said.
Embracing Islam was slow at first but Ali said his life now had meaning and he had learned to respect everyone.
"You take the time to figure out what defines being a Muslim, and that process usually grips you," he said.
Beyond the daily prayer rituals, Ali said Islam was about following the Koran, following the way of the prophet and implementing so it became a part of daily life.
"Everything you do is an act of worship, everything you say, what you eat, and acknowledge and be grateful for what you do," Ali said.
He said for him, Islam put life into perspective and teaches him there is a greater authority "watching over" him.
"It's about how much effort you want to put into forming that connection with God," Ali said.
Ali said he felt more supported by the prison system to practice his faith in recent years compared to when he first entered, and he had not missed a single Ramadan in seven years.
He attributed this to the increased number of Muslims in jail and the multi-faith chapel, built in 2014.
"Before it was very hard and there was a lack of understanding," Ali said.
Thirty-year old Simon (not his real name) was raised in a relatively secular home, but decided to convert to Islam 12 months ago.
"I see it in the light of being a peaceful thing, I believe in what Islam teaches you," Simon said.
He described Islam as "strength, unity, peace and cleanliness" and a way to: "be clean and live life cleanly and not use substances that can affect you".
Simon is 18 months into a two-year prison sentence for drug-related offences including armed robbery.
He said he had tried drug and alcohol counselling and Narcotics Anonymous, both outside and inside prison, with little success.
"[Islam] has given me strength to believe that I can be clean and to believe in something that will work," he said.
But not everyone in his family was initially enthusiastic with his conversion.
His mother was very supportive from the outset but his father initially thought it was "a joke" and said he hoped ASIO did not come knocking on his door but Simon said he has since "come on board".
"He has sent me the Hadith book, the Koran — he has sent me lots of books to support me in the way I want to go and live my life," Simon said.
"I guess if it betters me he says it's a better thing."
Simon said he liked to start and end the day with prayer and usually prays about three times a day with his fellow inmates who share the same cottage.
For the first time, he recently practiced a month of fasting from dawn to dusk as part of Ramadan, struggling through his first week with feeling light-headed at times.
"Takes a bit of a shock on the body because you haven't drunk or eaten anything," he said.
But said he received lots of support from his fellow Muslim inmates and now reflects upon his sentence as a blessing.
"I'm doing my MBA and I've found Islam, it's bettered my life and hopefully I use it in a good way because it has done some good," Simon said.