GUEST BLOG: Arthur Taylor – Another woman left rotting in prison
Just got a letter from Anne Wallace at A.R.WC.F…
“yep it’s overcrowded here alright, they’ve run out of uniforms, bedding. I have been here 22 months, never had a pillowslip, so I’m making my own.”
Anne is in her fifties, a first offender and in jail for drugs. She has been up to the parole board three times and been turned down, because she “hasn’t done programs”.
As she rightly says, what programs can help me at my age?
They can’t seem to be able to tell her the answer to that.
Annes’ mum is elderly, can’t drive and has heart problems, and is looking after her step – dad who has to be fed via a tube, and has to wear nappies, and is facing the problems that come with old age.
How does society benefit from keeping Anne locked up? When she could be at home taking the load off of her mum, and saving her step-dad from going to hospital and costing taxpayers a fortune.
Vicki Letele was dead right when she said she was only one of many. Failing to be treated decently with some humanity and compassion. We regularly show humanity and compassion to refugees and the starving in Africa and other countries, how about showing some to our own citizens, who just happen to be in prison?
Arthur Taylor is TDB Prisoner Rights blogger and is currently inside Prison.
I for one am sick of all the bullshert going on in our country all I can say is vote for change and vote for a party that cares about all of us not just the wealthy. Treating people like this is disgusting too many older women in prison, too many Maori for petty things wasting our tax dollars when they should be out here getting on with life with help
No, she shouldn’t be inside. Thats a fact. But not enough here to know what programs she could or should be doing while inside, but 50 years old isn’t that bad, its never to late to ‘get straight’.
The bit that struck me was..”I have been here 22 months, never had a pillowslip”. That is just ridiculous. 286 beds and they can’t sort out hygienic bedding.
I’m also wondering if there has been any closure on the ‘full body massage’ etc etc claims out there??
I reserve my greater sympathy for those robbed or assaulted or otherwise wronged by those who “just happen” to be in prison
She’s in prison apparently for using illegal drugs – who has she harmed except herself?
Based on the above both of you don’t know or don’t have a whanau member in prison or never ever visited one or had to deal with the system a system not created by us but by Pakeha little wonder it is not working. Being Maori I have many whanau in prison some should not be in there but too many pakeha make judgements when they have never had to deal with the justice system and its systemic racism and discrimination.
You have to wonder why she did not get home detention instead of a jail term????