Aboriginal hunger strike wins concessions

Aboriginal hunger strike wins concessions

By Francesca Davis

On March 10, prisoner Kerry Jones ended a 27-day hunger strike at Goulburn Jail after winning concessions from the prison administration.

Jones had decided to hunger strike in response to the victimisation of Aboriginal prisoners. In a written statement, he said, "Since being in Goulburn Prison for the last 9 months, I and other Aboriginal inmates have been victimised, intimidated and racially abused. Our basic human rights have been defiled and are being defiled on a daily basis."

According to Jones, the majority of prison officers are racist, have no cross-cultural training in understanding Aboriginal inmates and oppose such training. Young Aboriginal inmates are assaulted by racist prison officers, and there is no commitment to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.

After 54 prisoners declared their intention to join the hunger strike, the prison administration gave in. A meeting was held with an ATSIC commissioner, senior assistant commissioner of prisons Ron Woodham, the Aboriginal Legal Service, an Aboriginal tent embassy elder, prison governor Col Kelaher and another two prisoners.

They decided: access to the prisons by Aboriginal elders would be encouraged; support would be given for community programs and greater access by the community; prisoner communications with the authorities would be improved; an inquiry would occur into reported assaults by prison officers.

From GLW issue 310