Prisoners denied election material

Prisoners’ rights organisation Justice Action confronted the Supreme Court on Monday last week over a refusal by Corrective Services and Justice Health to allow detainees at Long Bay Forensic Hospital access to the publication JUST US. The March edition of JUST US aims to inform detainees of their rights and eligibility to vote at last weekend’s State election. Justice Health Executive Officer Julie Babineau, however, deemed the contents of the publication political in nature and therefore unsuitable for distribution within NSW health facilities.

Long Bay Forensic Hospital was opened just over two years ago as part of a $135 million program dedicated to forensic mental health, providing specialist care for individuals found not guilty by reason of mental illness.

Patients from the hospital have contributed to JUST US, with the latest edition opening the voice of an unnamed prisoner. “We know we are costing the community a lot of money and that the tabloids use us to create fear in the community. We must be given a chance to make amends and move on.”

Coordinator of Justice Action, Brett Collins, explained how JUST US could help patients move on by granting them civil entitlements

“Being denied voting material is a very pure example of the position forensic patients can be placed in. Receiving this material means you have received the same respect as the community,” said Mr Collins.

“Justice Health show a basic disrespect for the patients as human beings.” Mr Collins described patient Saeed Dezfouli as a human window into the issue of the rights of those detained. Mr Dezfouli has been inside the system for eight years and is denied the most basic access, the entitlement to new visitors unless they are “friends” who have had previous physical contact with him.

This behaviour moves Mr Collins to question the motives of Corrective Services and Justice Health and whether they are looking for patients to improve mentally or using them as profit centres.

“We have no doubt that the cost of over $200,000 per year for every patient represents a very exploitable resource for those around the Justice Health area,” said Mr Collins.