MEDIA RELEASE 14 September 1999
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Prisoners denied free computers
During the past six months over 100 computers have been donated from the
corporate sector and community groups in NSW Australia, to the prisoner
computer project. The computer project sees access to modern technology as
vital to the basic right of prisoners to education and training.
Providing personal computers to wings/pods is vital to maintaining
prisoners employability and preparing cases for legal defence. It is also
an educational right to those in a modern society and a constructive way
of addressing the pressures and frustrations of prison environment.
"In August 1999, the first computers were delivered to Arthur Gorrie
Remand Prison in Brisbane, after a request by the Inmate Development
Committee was approved by management. In September, two were delivered to
a maximum security section of Long Bay NSW, four were delivered to Mulawa
Women's Maximum Security NSW and four to a minimum security section of
Long Bay," said Kilty O'Gorman, of Justice Action.
"After accepting and installing the computers yesterday 13 September, the
Senior Education Officer at the minimum security section of Long Bay was
this morning directed by Leo Keliher, Commissioner of Corrective Services
to send them back," said Brett Collins, a spokesperson for Justice Action.
"This is a clear rejection of community, political and corporate support
to prisoners without any justification. NSW Corrective Services is once
again showing itself to be a negative, destructive department with corrupt
officials directing it and bypassing the weak minister Debus," said Ian
MacDougall of the Australian Prisoners Union.
"There is no valid reason to reject these computers and to do so will only
serve to alienate further an already disadvantaged group of society -
prisoners. The management has no problem with a TV in each cell, so how
dare they reject a free computer?" said Kilty O'Gorman, of Justice Action.
For further information contact:
Kilty O'Gorman
Brett Collins
Ian MacDougall
justice
ACTION
PO Box 386, Broadway, NSW 2007 Ph: 02 9281 5100 Fx :02 9281 5303
[EMAIL PROTECTED] www.justiceaction.org.au
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