28 April 2006

Meet the next lot of wowzing nimby bastards.

| S4anta
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Jail Free ACT announced themselves to the world on Anzac Day Morning. According to the ABC here, these people affiliated with a group called the Justice Action Organisation, who it seems are those wonderful people that complain about compulsary DNA testing of prisoners, speed cameras in vans hiding behind three year old trees etc.

But my personal favourite is a publication of theirs, named ‘Framed’, which, helpfully is distiributed free in all NSW prisons. Helping incarcerated individuals back onto their feet I applaud, however a magazine that is distributed to all prisoners, with stories of people’s expoloits that ended with a brief tangle with the judicial arm of what we loosely call a democracy in this country I do not. This magazine, in my mind, is essentially to the NSW prison community what Page 6 of the NY Times is to Paris Hilton.

[Ed – we have already visited these people but maybe Sssanta missed the fun first time around]

But anyways I digress. The people from Jail Free ACT have rightfully questioned why we need a prison in the ACT, whilst there apparently is ample enough space in NSW (small problem with NSW prisons at the moment however is that criminals seem to be able to escape from them). But where they have confused is introducing a term called ‘restorative justice’, I was hoping some good RA person could fill me on what exactly this is.

Am I right in assuming this is the sit down with the victim over a cupper and apologising for stabbing their Grandma whilst stealing the video? or am I wrong?

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I think they should work on a chain gang clearing stones in the dessert! The only time I would sit down and talk to a prisoner is after their trial and ask them why they did it eg: murder, don’t really expect an answer but hey they have nothing to lose

Ah, yes, the President’s crucial speech was recorded on … casette tape.

Ahh the great films of the 80’s coming back to my memory…

Escape from ?Absalom?
Escape from New York (everybody remember Kurt Russell as ‘snake’?)

Maelinar I agree with your alternative solution – a free ticket to the middle of Australia is a good start, then once all the shit bags arrive build a big brick wall around them (not a prison) and throw all the Justice Action hippies in there with them. Sit back and let them see just why the general community with common sense dont want the filthy turds walking the streets. Then when they’re done bashing, stealing, raping and killing each other fill the middle of Australia with water. Problem solved.

Why don’t we send those members of our society with the recessive gene back to Merry England where they came from ? [pun]

Is this a good time to bring up my alternative solution about banning them from major cities and towns with a population of over 150,000 and give them a free ticket on a bus to the middle of Australia ?

Actually that’ll work really easily when Johnny’s new card gets in…

JA’s position on a prison in the ACT seems to be working against the best interests of their constituency. If it is accepted that their goal of a prison free Australia is unachievable both practically and politically, it would seem that having a safe, modern prison (comparable to the Victorian alternatives currently available in NSW) close to family and friends (for visiting purposes, and hence maintaining a degree of integration with the community) would better serve the interests of criminals.

JA and Jerabomberra residents are going to make odd bedfellows.

As for the distribution of Framed in NSW prisons, does the publisher of RiotACT now believe in censorship all of a sudden?

You’re obviously a moron. You want us to censor other’s speach to prove our commitment to it?

Better yet you want censorship of views you disagree with out of prison while forbidding it inside of prison?

As I understand the rest of your argument you actually agree with everyone else here (some sort of miracle that in itself)

ie. There is a place for restorative justice but it is not a universal panacea, some types of crimes will always require incarceration.

“and is very much more effective than any other form of justice”

You’re kidding aren’t you? Its used in the ACT and we are the recidivist capital of Australia!

Affiliated with Justice Action? So far as I can tell they ARE Justice Action.

The reference to NIMBYism is silly because Justice Action is not local, and not NIMBYistic. They don’t want prisons in anyone’s backyard.

As for the distribution of Framed in NSW prisons, does the publisher of RiotACT now believe in censorship all of a sudden?

And restorative justice is practiced in a lot of places and is very much more effective than any other form of justice, except in terms of recidivism (there being no difference – but victims much prefer it to the antiquated court system). Using it in the context of serious violence, homicide or sexual offending is pronbably not a good idea, so there’s probably always going to be a place for prisons (and Hume is as good a place as any).

What few people seem to realise is that being a new prison, the Hume prison has the potential to be much cheaper and more effective than sending ACT prisoners to Goulburn and Junee and wherever they send the women.

Pete

You are going down the right lines. Little bit more to it but Police have been doing Diversionary Conferencing for years. Every gets together, has a hug and says sorry. All about shaming people etc.

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