Justice Action | Community organisation

Justice Action

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25.01.2022 ‘Victorian prisoners will have their sentences cut by a combined total of 487 years after being held under strict conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.’ 'Disruptions of COVID-19 for prisoners have included fewer hours out of cells, lockdowns and being placed in 14-day quarantine regardless of infection risk.' Read more at:... https://www.theage.com.au//victorian-prisoners-get-covid-s See more

23.01.2022 "We should embed mental health professionals in police crisis response and provide mental health resources so such individuals don’t become the subject of police interaction. We must revise our statutes on drug law enforcement, including cannabis and user possession of small amounts of opioids. We should permit the creation of safe-injection sites and promote treatment and recovery over prosecution and incarceration.". - US Senator David Walters. In America, the #BLM movement has reignited debate surrounding systemic racism and its effects on the justice system. For Australia, the movement serves as a reminder about the need for immediate and radical reform for the betterment of our indigenous community.

23.01.2022 Psychiatric offenders too often find themselves stuck in prison instead of receiving the treatment they need at mental health facilities due to a lack of positions available. This is the case for Henry Hammond who fatally killed, 25-year-old, Courtney Herron at Melbourne Royal Park during a schizophrenic episode. This incident reiterates that it cannot be more evident that our mental health services and facilities need greater reform and funding. ... https://bit.ly/32XvCOE

23.01.2022 Reports show that our NSW Drug Courts have been effective in reducing reoffending by 17% in participants. Sanctions, counselling, monitoring and intervention works. Preventative measures are shown to be important in rehabilitating offenders. Brad Hazzard, Minister for Health and Medical Research, has stated that drug use is usually due to underlying health and mental health issues that can result in the progression of offences.... https://bit.ly/2G7Ot0w

21.01.2022 US grand jury rules officers Brett Hankison, Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove innocent in Breonna Taylor's death. However, instead found Hankison guilty on three counts for endangering Ms Taylor's neighbours. Again, America's criminal system has failed to deliver justice. This was explained by the Attorney-General, Mr Cameron, who stated the circumstances of her death were different to other police shootings occurring in the States.... Morgan Julianna Lee, a 15-year old student, stated "It's almost like a slap in the face. If I, as a Black woman, ever need justice, I will never get it." #JusticeForBreonnaTaylor #PoliceReform https://ab.co/3kC9U8G

20.01.2022 ‘The Australian Government needs to take urgent action on jail deaths" Stanley died two days after being admitted to the hospital, one of three suspected suicides in Western Australia’s prisons in just the past four months. A coroner’s inquest is underway. Read more at: https://www.hrw.org//western-australian-government-needs-t

15.01.2022 NSW police would be able to search convicted drug dealers up to 10 years after their conviction under a proposed law. Proposed new laws that would allow New South Wales police to stop, detain and search anyone convicted of a serious drug offence in the past decade are unjust and would give police extraordinary power to target marginalised groups, legal and civil liberties groups have warned. https://www.theguardian.com//proposed-nsw-police-powers-to

14.01.2022 the loving nature of dogs allowed prisoners to be more empathetic. New research has revealed that spending time with dogs in prisons can reduce rates of recidivism and could help improve the emotional intelligence of inmates. Researcher Lauren Humby stated that often prisoners lack awareness of both themselves and those around them. They can also struggle with identifying emotions and find it difficult to respond to both their own and other peoples. The presence of dogs i...n prisons could enable inmates to recognise different emotions in people due to similarities in the ways in which humans process both dogs and humans facial cues. "In prison, it's weak to show emotion, but the dogs provide us with the opportunity to show positive emotion, it's acceptable then and that's so important." Not that we needed more reasons to love dogs... https://www.abc.net.au//prison-dogs-helping-with-/12666392

14.01.2022 "Because of their lack of duty of care, my brother was able to go and take his life in a storeroom.". Jacinta Miller reflecting on her brother, Stanley's death in prison. Stanley's death is indicative of wider issues detailed in a recent report from Human Rights Watch. The report found shocking statistics that 60% of people who died in Western Australian prisons between 2010-2020 had a disability. Mental health services in prisons were rated highly inadequate, noting that m...ost deaths in custody occurred due to "a ... lack of support provided by the prison, suicide and violence". There are growing calls from various groups and organisations pressing for systemic change in the prison system.

14.01.2022 Justice Action had the opportunity to co-host a peaceful protest against strip searches in women’s prisons in front of the Silverwater Correctional Centre. Read our article here: https://justiceaction.org.au//ban-strip-search-nsw-coalit/

14.01.2022 Western-Sydney woman takes two officers to court after being beaten, pepper-sprayed and tasered in the neck during a 'scuffle' at the pub. She claims one officer stated to the other, "we will be fine as long as keep to the story". https://ab.co/2GeEBlI

13.01.2022 "Mothers in solitary confinement often lose even their limited access to contact visits and phone calls with their kids. " https://solitarywatch.org//you-can-never-get-that-time-ba/

10.01.2022 Imprisonment rates are rising across the nation, with the ACT recording the fastest-growing prison population in Australia. Although the ACT is the first jurisdiction in Australia to endorse raising the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14, broader reform is still sorely needed. The ACT government has committed to a justice reinvestment approach to reduce recidivism by 25% by 2025, instead of building more prisons. High recidivism rates show that the prison system is... failing, with prison reform needed instead. The ACT government’s justice strategy recognises that rehabilitation is cheaper and more beneficial for reducing reoffending. In the long run, without education and rehabilitation services, little is achieved. This is particularly important in ending the disproportionate impact of imprisonment on our most vulnerable populations, particularly youth, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and people with mental illness and cognitive disability. https://www.canberratimes.com.au//the-act-should-lead-the/

09.01.2022 Strip searching is an abuse of power and is used as a form of extra judicial punishment through sexual humiliation. Please sign this petition and help us ban strip searching in women's prisons. https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/ban-strip-searches

07.01.2022 The ACT government has committed to a justice reinvestment approach to reduce recidivism by 25 per cent by 2025. With support from former "governors-general Dame Quentin Bryce and Sir William Deane as patrons-in-chief, the Justice Reform Initiative is a broad alliance which includes former judges, prosecutors, police, respected Aboriginal leaders and former ministers from both sides of politics - many of whom have witnessed how the overuse of jail leads to worse outcomes for our society, not better.". The Justice Reform Initiative is a step in the right direction for restorative and community justice. #Justice #Criminaljustice #PrisonsinAus #Canberranews #Safercommunities

06.01.2022 "By coming forward and making the disclosure that you've been a victim this is now used as a catch 22 for this mother and used against her to remove her kids." Indigenous children are being removed at birth from mothers with disabilities. Read more below. https://www.abc.net.au//disability-domestic-viole/12915728

05.01.2022 Recently, Queensland and the ACT became the first Australian jurisdictions to ban conversion therapy. Laws were passed making this practice a criminal offence. However, this is not enough to adequately protect LGBTIQ Australians from the devastating impacts of conversion therapy. This practices causes real harm to many, who suffer from distress, psychological damage and guilt and isolation as a result. Furthermore, this practice is a direct violation of human rights. A national approach is still required, and many practices still remain legal in Australia despite their clear harms. Australia needs to enact a ban that works in concert with federal human rights and anti-discrimination law, overseen by the Australian Human Rights Commission. https://micky.com.au/why-australia-needs-a-national-ban-on/

04.01.2022 According to experts, Drug court programs have been more effective than imprisonment, in preventing re-offending rates by drug-related offenders. These specialist courts have been shown to be more effective and cheaper than jail time. http://thewire.org.au//drug-court-programs-curbing-re-off/

03.01.2022 The Healthcare Quality Trend Report shows how treatment for mental health patients in hospitals has drastically declined during the Coronavirus pandemic. Non-therapeutic measures, such as seclusion and physical restraints, have been more frequently used on patients. These measures are usually a last resort but physical restraints have seen an increase of 25% and seclusion times averaging 7 hours as opposed to the 4 hour goal. https://bit.ly/32ZHorP

01.01.2022 For the first time in Australia, computer tablets are available in cells for prisoners to use for rehabilitation, communication, and education. Read our report here: https://justiceaction.org.au//prisoners-in-high-security-/