prisons

Baird Announces New Private Prisons As Jail Population Explodes

 

The exclusive article in todays Telegraph exposing budget plans to build new prisons shows the government has lost its way.

Internationally prisons are being closed due to the immense costs and damage of isolating people rather than solving the social problems.

Aboriginal youth are now half of all juvenile prisoners.

Trying to look tough and ignoring the failure is a dreadful crime against our community” said Justice Action Coordinator Brett Collins.

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WGAR News: Report on Deaths in Custody - people dying at high rates: Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer

Newsletter date: 30 May 2013

Contents:

* Australian Institute of Criminology: Deaths in custody in Australia to 30 June 2011
* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Report on Deaths in Custody - people dying at high rates
* Inga Ting, SMH: Policy failure as prisons fill with indigenous people
* Paul Simpson and Michael Doyle, ABC The Drum Opinion: Indigenous prison rates are a national shame
* SBS World News: 'No lessons learned' on Aboriginal deaths
* Cairns Post: Concern as Aboriginal deaths in custody rise
* Bundaberg News Mail: Aboriginal incarceration rates hitting crisis levels

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Ron Woodham on the way out

After a ten year stint in the top job, NSW Prisons Commissioner Ron Woodham is on the way out, with the Attorney General Greg Smith announcing this week that his contract will not be renewed.

There is a lot of debate about whether the Woodham was removed or if he happily stood down.

Some commentators view this decision as Greg Smith’s first successful move in his bid to reform the harsh, old school prison system.

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International Day of action against Serco, report-back from Sydney.

On Friday 9th of March in response to a call for an international day of action against Serco, a corporation running government services from juvenile and adult prisons to immigrant detention centres, to army bases in Afghanistan, to speed cameras in Victoria, and soon the Sydney Ferry system.

Demonstrations were held in London, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney, where a number of cordinated demonstrations were held throughout the day.

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New year's eve solidarity demo at Villawood detention centre

At midnight, as 2011 became 2012, a group of anarchists held a small noise demo outside Villawood Immigration Detention Centre with fireworks, drums, chants and a banner reading 'NO ONE A HOSTAGE IN THE HANDS OF THE STATE - FIRE TO THE PRISONS'. People inside heard us and answered by waving and shouting 'freedom.' Being able to communicate with people across these borders meant that, even though it was a small gesture, for us it was a beautiful way to start this new year.

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HADI KURNIAWAN - one of 100 children in Australian adult prisons.

An impoverished Indonesian mother, in front of an Australian journalist, lies on a cement floor clutching a photograph of her 16 year old son who is now in an Australian adult prison and whom she hasn't seen since he was fourteen. Abject and acute poverty ravages Indonesia, a country where only 10% of the population has a refrigerator, where most people do not have electricity let alone a television, where many people live half lives working in sulphur mines and where most folk will never rise out of the shanty towns and villages they are born to die in.

Blood on the hands of all Australian Senators. We will continue the call for a Joint Committee Senate Inquiry.

The Human Rights Alliance
We will continue to call for a JOINT COMMITTEE SENATE INQUIRY INTO AUSTRALIAN DEATHS IN CUSTODY.

The Human Rights Alliance, on this occasion led by its PhD Law researcher into Australian Deaths in Custody, will continue to urge Australian Senators for the need to call for a Joint Committee Senate Inquiry into Australian Deaths in Custody.

Australian Senate motion is an insult - people will continue to die in custody and be incarcerated at unbelievable rates

The Human Rights Alliance: Deaths in Custody: Australia's horrific record - The Australian Senate lets us down. Motion is an insult.

The Australian Senate approved the Greens Motion to acknowledge the rising Aboriginal incarceration rates and deaths in custody in lieu of Friday 15, April which marks twenty years since the release of the 339 recommendations and Final Report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.

Greece: Teo Eliopulos still not in a real hospital!

Greece: Teo Eliopulos still not in a real hospital!

The real struggle begins now!

Teo Eliopulos is an anarchist and the last prisoner from the December Revolt still in pre-trial detention and is denied bail for his beliefs.

Teo Eliopulos has been in prison since December (more than six months) and as of yesterday is the only prisoner of the revolt to be denied bail - still. On July 9 the Court of Appeals made it explicit, in rejecting Eliopulos’ application, that it did so on the grounds that Eliopulos is an anarchist and therefore a “danger for democracy”.