6 February 2009

Prisoners complaining more

| johnboy
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The Canberra Times reports that ACT Corrective Services have seen a big jump in complaints.

    Complaints against ACT Corrective Services have jumped nearly 60 per cent in the past year as inmates in Belconnen Remand Centre buck against conditions in the facility.
    The figures come as an inmate who voiced his concerns about conditions in the facility to The Canberra Times last week suffered a heart attack in his cell.

    A total of 155 complaints were made against ACT Corrective Services in 2007-08, with 62 investigated by the Ombudsman’s office.

    Three of those complaints led to a policy change, a formal apology and financial compensation. In 2006-07 the number of complaints was 94.

Now prisoners will always complain for a number of reasons including:

    — Many of them wouldn’t be there if not for their inherent dishonesty,
    — It’s a way to pass their copious amounts of free time,
    — Every now and then you’re going to get a result, making a complaint is their equivalent of buying a lottery ticket.

On the other hand, a significant rise in the number of complaints can probably be added to the growing signs of crisis surrounding the prison debacle.

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The prisoners should be able to get all the medical they need to help them improve their lives, but not make the prison into a 5 star motel

FC yours is a non sesical comment, what I ment to say some prisoners plead insanity when they are not, being in with mental patients they will end up going crazy, and talking about someone in another country the jails in asia are horiffic, I believe in an eye for an eye and life means life!

“many of you who seem to delight in putting the boot into people on remand at BRC have ever met someone who’s been there?”

I know of one new prisoner. He went down last week for violent behaviour and spousal abuse. He has a drug problem and some form of mental illness. He was a nightmare to start with but sought help and ended up with a naltrexone implant. He was given the implant and that’s it. No further medical help. It was all downhill from there.

I am more than happy that he has been removed from society and that his Ex has him out of her life. What worries me is when he gets out. If his mental state is not sorted then it’s a repeat performance. It is only a holiday for the victims on the outside.

A brutal horrid repeat performance fuelled by jail inspired rage is what the victim has to look forward too.

So mistreat the prisoners as much as you like, because they will eventually be out with a whole new bag of s### to unleash.

How does mistreating anyone solve a medical condition?

I wonder how many of you who seem to delight in putting the boot into people on remand at BRC have ever met someone who’s been there? Yes, some of them are burglars, or have done even worse things (like breach bail conditions, fail to pay fines…or commit crimes of violence, breach AVOs etc). Perhaps we can safely say that MOST of them dunnit alright, but it’s drawing a long bow to argue that means they’re getting what they deserve.

Not all prisoners are violent psychopaths. Many are frequent victimes of the predators with whom they share their cells or shower blocks – recent CT story about rape in prison should make it clear that life in prison isn’t a walk in the park.

Let’s face it – most prisoners are men. If you want to know how much the community cares about them, count the number of services for men that they can access on release.

There is a big gap between not being mistreated and providing a roof and food.

Judge a society by how it treats both its criminals and most vulnerable members [apologies to Ghandi]. In my view, t isn’t about feeling sorry for people or the desire to punish them or whatever else; it is about the ethical framework of the society in which I live.

So it becomes less about what the ‘perpetrator’ has done and more about what we think is ethical and appropriate.

Great to see so many people on this forum taking pleasure in the suffering of others and using it as an argument that the ‘justice’ system is working.

If I ever need a mindless lynch mob I’ll know who to call.

torisness, ,I don’t think anyone is asking for you to feel sorry for them.
The way I see it is that this issue is about human rights, and the rights that all citizen’s of Australia are given.
Yes most people are in the remand centre because they have broken the law, but I don’t think that that means these rights should be taken away from them. Their freedom has been taken away as part of the punishment for their crimes, but when we start fiddling with who is entitled to (the right to complain, the right to adequate medical treatment etc), I think we are stepping into dangerous territory.

i mean seriously, they are not being tortured or mistreated, they have a roof over their heads and food – all at OUR expense. and this in return for (MOSTLY) breaking the law, maybe bashing someone or breaking into your house or whatever. tell me again why i should feel sorry for these people??

wah wah wah

next

your post doesn’t make sense to me.
Just to clarify – You are saying that if the prisoners don’t have a mental issue before going to gaol, they certianly will after – but they should be grateful for this becuase of someone in another country?!!

Haven’t you ever heard the saying “two wrongs don’t make a right”

Otherwise you could just dismiss any complaint:

“Ah, I was sick from the meal from your restaurant”

“Pfft – Complaint not vaid – look at all the children around the world who are dying of hunger. youi should count yourself lucky to have food to eat at all!”

Doesn’t Goulbourn have a seperate part of the jail for mental prisoners? If they don’t have a mental problem before going in there they will certainly will after, maybe they could think about how Shappelle Corby is coping in a Thai jail, and think how lucky they are.

tylersmayhem said :

I too would voice loud concerns if they were being tortured or the guards posing with their pants down and in sexual positions with the prisoners.

Then perhaps you shouldn’t go around saying you’re hoping for “more complaint’s – and hopefully some of them serious,” as it definitely gives the impression that you are in favour of human rights abuses being perpetrated against prisoners.

tylersmayhem12:51 pm 09 Feb 09

If it’s too hot, well then the guards should open up the fire hose on the inmates.

Damn straight man – never caused John Rambo any ill effect… 😛

If it’s too hot, well then the guards should open up the fire hose on the inmates.

I’m sure ACTEW would give the ACT Corrections Service a dispensation to use the extra water.

tylersmayhem11:39 am 09 Feb 09

Plenty of Australians seem to care about the conditions of detention for people who train for jihad with terrorist organisations.\

Yes, but I dare suggest that the conditions of prisoners in Cuba vary quite a bit than those in Belconnen. I too would voice loud concerns if they were being tortured or the guards posing with their pants down and in sexual positions with the prisoners. I suppose in anything, this underline just how f**king good our prisoners have it. Maybe ship them off to a Viet or Thai prison to make them appreciate what they have back here?!

Haha what a load of bull. Prisoners should be treated as so, once they committed whatever crime they did and were sentenced, they gave up their rights then and there.

You don’t have rights as a prisoner, you shouldn’t have rights, your rights are to be removed. Why give a hoot about how they are treated or living when ‘good’ people are doing it worse, GOD they even get fed better than we do and get at least three meals a day!

These whingers need to harden the f*** up.

As prisoners have always been sent to NSW, where they were able to access rehabilitative programs, it is a significant problem that those in remand are not able to access such services (alcohol/drug programs, victim impact programs, sex offender programs, psychological counselling, anger management, gambling counselling, weekend and work release). The interminable delay is bad for the prisoners, bad for staff, and ultimately bad for the entire community. At this rate, many will be due for release before the prison opens and they will not have been able to address the issues related to their offending properly.

When are we going to get a definitive opening date?

Well, I certainly hope that you’re right, sepi.

I did care, but then when I read that it only gets up to 30 degrees in there (during high 30s weather) I was less concerned. I’ve lived in way hotter houses than that.

I’m not sure you’re right about that, BigDave. Plenty of Australians seem to care about the conditions of detention for people who train for jihad with terrorist organisations.

I don’t think that anyone here would give a shit about these “poor” prisoners’ conditions if it was their house that they’d burgled.

Yes and what about the alleged double murder in there! suffer baby suffer

except that we then pay them compensation.

If prisoners are complaining somebody must be doing something right.

tylersmayhem said :

…or it could be because I watched Changeling last night and it has triggered my natural distrust of people in power.

Look out JB 😉

I said people in power, not people who think they are in power 😉

KIDDING JOHNBOY!

jakez said :

… I think these matters are important not because they reflect on the ‘rights’ of the imprisoned, but because they reflect on our own humanity.

Well said, jakez.

: )

tylersmayhem12:02 pm 06 Feb 09

…or it could be because I watched Changeling last night and it has triggered my natural distrust of people in power.

Look out JB 😉

Granny said :

Yeah, suck up your heart attack, princess!

Hope you have an aneurysm next time!!

Time to break out the champagne – I’m off to celebrate your misery….

Wallow, sucker, wallow!!

I might even take a day off from my respectable, pillar-of-the-community job and when I go to church I’ll stick an extra coin in the plate ’cause I’m so thankful that I’m such a nice person and just so much better than you, you bastard!

Unusually callous. Sarcasm?

I am not one to suggest that prisoners should live in the lap of luxury. However I think these matters are important not because they reflect on the ‘rights’ of the imprisoned, but because they reflect on our own humanity.

…or it could be because I watched Changeling last night and it has triggered my natural distrust of people in power.

I’m just enjoying the effects of the heat stress on the prisoners like everyone else, Tylers.

tylersmayhem11:48 am 06 Feb 09

Holy crap Granny – whats happened to you? Is the hot weather getting to you? ;P We’ve created a monster RA!

Yeah, suck up your heart attack, princess!

Hope you have an aneurysm next time!!

Time to break out the champagne – I’m off to celebrate your misery….

Wallow, sucker, wallow!!

I might even take a day off from my respectable, pillar-of-the-community job and when I go to church I’ll stick an extra coin in the plate ’cause I’m so thankful that I’m such a nice person and just so much better than you, you bastard!

“There but for the the grace of God go I” is a saying. God or no God, you or I could develop schizophrenia, for example, tomorrow and find ourselves in BRC. And sure, there are other people all over the world who live in much worse conditions, but it is a sad indictment for such an affluent city (and country) that our mentally ill are treated like criminals because there is nowhere else for them to go. Don’t believe me that the mentally ill end up at BRC then just talk to a mental health nurse at the canberra hospital’s psych ward, they’ll tell you just how many people with mental illnesses police bring in every day, only to have them turned away because there are no more beds.

jackal said :

And as someone else on riotact recently observed, there but for the grace of god…

And are you daring to go against god’s will?

tylersmayhem10:43 am 06 Feb 09

This is music to my ears. I’m hoping for more complaint’s – and hopefully some of them serious.

but if they are being kept in unbearable conditions not only will their conditions never improve, symptoms will in many cases be exacerbated.

Oh good grief – please tell me you are f**king kidding! What do you classify unbearable? Do you need me to draw you a picture how the majority of the worlds population live in poverty, and “unbarable” is hardly the conditions in which these detainees live?

Interesting points about those who are apparently in there who have mental illness – I would be interested in ensuring they have the appropriate care.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy said :

So prisoners are complaining.

Well boo-fcking-hoo.

As many people have already pointed out in previous threads on this topic, most of those in BRC are not prisoners, they are remandees who are yet to be found guilty. Sure, most of these are in fact guilty, so one could argue it’s ok they are being treated poorly. But spare a thought for the large proportion of those in there who are mentally ill and find themselves in a perpetual cycle of courts, BRC and even jail because there is nowhere else in the ACT for them to go. Those with conditions such as schizophrenia often find themselves behind bars for minor offences (public nuisance is a common one) because they are refused bail, as the likelihood of them reoffending is, of course, high. Having them in custody is often the only way these people can receive treatment, but if they are being kept in unbearable conditions not only will their conditions never improve, symptoms will in many cases be exacerbated. And as someone else on riotact recently observed, there but for the grace of god…

Pommy bastard10:07 am 06 Feb 09

To quote a board notable; “Suck it up princess’s”

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy10:02 am 06 Feb 09

So prisoners are complaining.

Well boo-fcking-hoo.

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