Prisoner rights activists banned

Matthew Holloway, Hobart

Prison Action Reform calls for better treatment of inmates at Hobart's Risdon Prison. It has been a strong voice about the reality of deaths in custody, and the poor living conditions and violation of human rights in the prison.

PAR is now having to take court action to retain its right to act as an independent watchdog for Tasmania's prison system. On May 18, Attorney-General Judy Jackson released a media statement indicating that she was banning PAR members from visiting Risdon.

Greg Barns, PAR's legal representative, said that only the prison director has the power to impose such a ban and that the director "can only ban people by order — no order has been made against PAR. They have received no communication from the director, until the email I received this morning. And it's highly questionable whether or not that email constitutes an order."

Barns received notification of a ban on PAR member Vicki Douglas after she was refused entry to the prison last week. Douglas, who had attempted to visit a mentally ill inmate who had specifically requested to see her, was distressed and disgusted at being refused entry. "We're talking about a human life here ... He had threatened to commit suicide and I was the one who was able to convince him not to do these things", she said.

Tasmanian Greens' justice spokesperson Nick McKim said the ban was undemocratic and a "clumsy attempt to prevent criticism of the state government". PAR is seeking an administrative review in the Hobart Magistrates Court.

From Green Left Weekly, August 24, 2005.

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From GLW issue 639