Media Release 11 August 2000
JUNEE JAIL A DRUG WAR PRISON
"Junee Correctional Centre is NSW's largest jail and it has been
created for and filled up by the US driven Drug War in NSW," said
Freedom Rider Graeme Dunstan today. "It also happens to be wholly owned
by a US corporation",
The Freedom Riders will be conducting a picnic for Families of Drug War
prisoners (and burning a cardboard replica of the jail) outside the
Junee Correctional Centre:
10.00 ? 4.00 pm Saturday 12 August 2000
Park Lane, Junee
(cardboard jail to burn at noon)
The Freedom Riders, who are on a journey for justice to all the jail
towns of NSW, want to bring attention to the failure and social cost of
the Drug War and the inexorable rise of prisoner populations in nations
where US drug prohibition policies have become law.
"The USA has foisted drug prohibition upon us and now US corporations
are profiting by providing the prison facilities to lock up Australian
offenders of these unworkable laws", said Mr Dunstan.
Last year the number of prisoners in NSW jails rose by 8% to 7,300. An
estimated 80% of these inmates are incarcerated for drug related
offences.
"At this time Australian governments are building prisons at a faster
rate than they are building universities or hospitals", said Brett
Collins of Justice Action. "Our governments cannot find money for
scholarships to send the children of the poor to universities but they
have no trouble finding $60,000 per head per year to send them to
privatised prisons."
"Drug prohibition policies have escalated drug abuse, made dangerous
drugs more dangerous, corrupted our police and stripped us of our civil
liberties", said Freedom Ride Graeme Dunstan. "The more our governments
spend on the Drug War, the more drug deaths we have and the more
prisoners, prisons and profits to the wholly US owned jailer, Australian
Correctional Management."
So far the Freedom Ride has visited jails at Grafton, Glen Innes,
Tamworth, Cessnock and Bathurst.
On International Prisoner Justice Day (10 August) the Freedom Riders
burnt a cardboard replica of a jail which looked very much like the
White House outside the US Embassy in Canberra.
"We wanted to let the new US Ambassador to Australia, Mr Edward Gnehm,
that the Australian people want no more of the US drug prohibition
madness", said Mr Dunstan. "We are determined that we will NOT let these
bad laws make Australia a convict colony again."
Of the jails the Freedom Riders have already visited, they estimate that
they hold 900 prisoners of the Drug War. That is 900 Australian men (95%
of NSW prisoners are men) who they say would be home with their families
and friends if it were not for the Drug War in NSW
The Freedom Ride plans to arrive in Sydney before the opening of the
Olympic Games, present a huge Picnic for Families of the Drug War
Prisoners outside Long Bay jail on Sunday 3 September, and the Sydney
2000 HEMP Olympix on Saturday 9 September (venue to be announced).
The Australian Cannabis Law Reform Movement and Justice Action are
sponsoring the Freedom Ride.
Further information.
Check the web site www.peacebus.com
Graeme Dunstan, director Australian Cannabis Law Reform Movement 0412
609 373
www.nrg.com.au/~graeme
Brett Collins, Justice Action, 0414 705 003
www.justiceaction.org.au
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