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Computers in Cells political responses |
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Election Forum Responses - Computers in Cells
On Saturday February 19, 2011 a NSW State Pre-Election Forum was organised by the Community Justice Coalition, where the major political parties outlined their policies regarding Criminal Justice.
Attorney General John Hatzistergos for the ALP, Greg Smith Shadow Attorney General for the Liberals, David Shoebridge for the Australian Greens, and Phillip Costa, Minister for Corrective Services presented for their parties.
During the Forum, each party was questioned about their position on placing computers in cells. The responses were all supportive and suggest that computers may be placed in cells soon. While the Opposition and Minister Costa held security concerns, these are safely addressed as shown in our ‘Computer in Cells Proposal’. The Greens acknowledged that security risks can be eliminated within the program.
Phillip Costa pointed out that Nowra Prison had been designed to receive computers in cells and that they were awaiting a political decision. He also stated that he “believe[s computers are] a very useful resource so long as you’ve got a capacity to maintain security and safety”.
The Opposition also confirmed that they were in favour of the proposal with Greg Smith saying that “the only thing that worries me about the proposal is security”.
Similarly, the Greens emphasised that they support computers in cells “with all of the appropriate IT restraints [which are] clearly within the grasp of the NSW government”. They maintained that if a key aim of corrective services is rehabilitation, then computers in cells are necessary. Furthermore, they stated that computers and internet access are needed to uphold relationships between parents and kids. Otherwise, children are being punished for crimes that they did not commit.
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Computers in Cells Proposal |
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The ‘Computers in Cells’ Proposal download highlights the need for a computer to be placed in every cell. This will make our communities safer and more inclusive.
Not only do computers promote self-improvement by encouraging education and vocational training, they also provide an effective tool to target recidivism. For individuals experiencing the prison system from the inside, a computer offers a means of communicating with family, dealing with boredom in a productive, safe manner and enabling access to crucial legal resources.
With the majority of prisoners spending around 18 hours a day in their cells, this issue needs to be addressed immediately so that their time can be used for personal development rather than wasted watching the ever present TV. The technology is almost identical but one is active rather than passive.
Security concerns are easily dealt with by filters such as the PrisonPC software used in the new A.C.T. prison. It blocks access to USB and optical media drives or any websites like Facebook unless the sites and specific pages have been approved by the prison. The benefits are shown by prisoners being released and not reoffending. The recidivist level of 20% in Norway where they have computers in their cells compares to over 40% in Australia.
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Prisons as part of the Community |
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This is a key to JA's work.It was presented to the NSW Legislative
Council 2009 as part of the campaign against the corporate
privatisation of prisons. It is an analysis of the conflicting policies
of social exclusion and
community building, giving examples of how they conflict in practice
and offering some direction for change.
download pdf
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Read more...
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Housing - COSPs - new quasi prison system |
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There has been a dangerous development of a quasi-prison system being
created around the resettlement of ex prisoners. Before enacting a new
housing law to evict
Ray (Dennis) Ferguson, he was told a COSP (Community Offender Support
Programs) would be the only place
available for him!
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Prisoners - The Forgotten Humans; National Consultation on Human Rights 2009 Media Release |
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Prisoners are forgotten humans of the Penal Colony. The three day public hearing of the National Consultation on Human Rights, ending in Canberra on Friday July 3, 2009, ignored prisoners in its program. media release
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