Media Release Prisoners Legal Service 15 October 2013 Rehabilitation must be central to defining prison conditions, for all our sakes There is the old saying that if you treat people like animals, they will behave like animals. Having witnessed the downwards spiral of behavior of people in the current maximum security unit, Prisoners’ Legal Service can vouch for the truth in this statement. New measures have been announced today to restrict the rights of so called ‘bikie’ members in prison. These measures include incarceration in the notorious maximum security units at Woodford prison. Maximum security units have been used in Queensland to create conditions of long term solitary confinement. We know of some people who have now been living in these conditions for over a decade. When you take away everything from a cell, including TV, exercise and personal items a person is left with nothing to do or to distract themselves with. This sensory deprivation, when combined with solitary confinement is detrimental to mental health and detrimental to prospects of successful reintegration post release. Research consistently shows the disturbing impact of solitary confinement on behavior, communication and social skills. It creates more problems with behavior, rather than solutions as stripping people in prison of their already limited forms of social interaction dehumanises them. Current laws require that maximum security units are used for people who have been assessed to be a major threat to the security of the prison. While some so called ‘bikie’ members may fit this definition, there will be some who are in prison for minor crimes and some who are enthusiastic workers in prison jobs. There are some who are loving parents and some who are working steadily towards their own rehabilitation so that when they are released they will have a better chance of living a crime free life in the community. The proposed measures threaten to make people more angry and isolated. They will deprive opportunities to access rehabilitation, meaning people are more likely to go back to criminal activities after they are released. And we need to remember that 99% of people in prison will be released one day. There are only a handful of serious offences that attract a life sentence. Would you prefer to live next door to someone who has been to prison and come out with job prospects and family connections or someone who has been kept in solitary confinement and only has the support of other members of their gang? Harder prison time simply leads to more hardened criminals in our community. This is not about ‘bikie’ rights. This is about basic dignity and how we can work together to give people the best chance at building a safe and crime free life after prison. theaustralian.au/news/latest-news/newman-flags-super-jail-for-bikie-crims/story-fn3dxiwe-1226739987105
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 02:07:17 +0000
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