PRISON BLOG 3
Here is the latest Prison Blog from Tim Selwyn
On Monday morning someone alerted me to a news story about this blog. Mr. Bradbury is on the job – was my first reaction. On TV One breakfast show a concerned Simon Power summoned the necessary and expected outrage of any opposition spokesperson. I think the term he used was “loss of privileges” – as in prisoners should not be able to blog because it is a privilege. Well, if I may be permitted the “privilege” of contradicting Mr. Power, it is considered in most modern democracies to be a right. In the same way that trenchant criticism of the government used to be before I was imprisoned for sedition.
For Mr. Power’s information, I am trapped in a compound surrounded by multiple fences of razor wire. Because the bureaucracy is designed to frustrate the minimal “privileges” we are permitted, I have not as yet got phone contact with anyone – in fact I have made only one single telephone call since my sentence began two weeks ago. So banging off the odd letter seems rather a minimal “privilege” – given the nature of having to attend to one’s affairs, bills etc that do not stop when you are led out of the courtroom – it is a necessity. The fact that the letter may be published on the internet, I think, is irrelevant.
According to this morning’s news report the Corrections Department doesn’t care – and nor should it. Further to that consideration, I will follow a policy of not identifying by name any Prisoner or any Corrections Officer. And for my own personal safety, I do not intend to criticise any gangs by name either.
Tim Selwyn
Prison Blogger
posted by Bomber @ 1:37 pm
17 comments
17 Comments:
Kia Kaha Tim - you should charge a subs fee for each blog. National Party Styles...
Geezuss! I though prison was like a hotel. These blogs have opened my eyes. Man i'm gonna make an extra effort to keep out of trouble now. I guess I should thank MP Simon Power for drawing my attention to this site.
I hope you are keeping a note of the identity of ever Prison Officer who you see breaching the Code of Conduct they are supposed to follow.
Staff can not report it because no-one cares about staff and if they speak out they will be ruined.
Think youself lucky that the guilty get treated better than the innocent.
I think this is perpetuating the myth of prison - people watch to much TV.
Remand and short stays are different I have heard but once crims get transferred to the longer term environment i.e. Auckland West, things are by and large reasonably calm.
Most of the aggravation is created by Prison Officers, the more mature and intelligent crims learn to manipulate them easily.
There is a lot of abuse of new staff, in particular women who do not do what the boys want.
Ask anyone in Auckland about the time two women staff (one now a senior manager) who were in a prison van outside the club with the boys queuing outside. That’s the sort of thing you have to do to be accepted. If you are to ugly to please the boys in the back of a van being a good cook helps.
Come on you pathetic little cowards lets here some truth about staff drinking, shagging, drugs, all forms of abuse.
Note to cops – if you want to get some DIC’s at 8am just pick up some PO’s on their way to work.
.................................And just think - we couldn't have any of this discussion and talking zone if Simon Power had his way!
Sure it’s amusing but does anyone really think anything will change.
The corruption and abuses will continue just as they always have under governments of all colours. Matt Robson pretended to care – until he became Minister of course and he’s not the worst.
The governments pretty boy (and girls) protectors will continue to get rich as will the bleeding heart 'human rights' lawyers who love getting taxpayer payouts for some of the most disgusting, cold blooded, vicious crims in the country.
Ahhhhhh justice ........ a nice fantasy but it will never happen, nobody really gives a damn.
...........................................Anon - this is OUR democracy, through MMP we have one of the most representative forms of Democracy in the Western World, and through sites like this where the mainstream bias which always favours the powerful is blunted - we not only have the chance to change thinking, we have a responsibility to change thinking.
It is a fundamental right of EVERYONE to be able to write a letter if they choose. I dont see how this can have a negative affect on anyone, if anything it is opening our eyes to what we would never be able to see otherwise. I am interested in knowing what goes on in prison life and if a blog will allow me that small glimpse into Mr Selwyns world, then I bow down before him and give thanks. Mr Power has obviously never taken his shoes off and attempted to walk in someone elses. Perhaps if he did, he may just see the light. Hear Hear Tim.
Tim Selwyn is a man of truth and a human being just like the rest of us, I tottaly admire this bloke. I also look with anticipation to this blog-site for his letters.
Leanne is right on the ball here-If mr Power took his shoes off and walked in somebody eles then perhaps he would be in the position to criticise. But just like all our politicans in this country, they don't give a damn about anybody else but themselves. Those politicans have the blood off all New Zealanders on their hands!
Absolutley spot on, the founder of the Metropolitan Police Force was quoted as saying 'A government is the people, and the people are the Government' in simpliar terms a Government is only as good as the people it serves. Mr Simon Power must feel he is exempt from this!
Mr. Selwyn is certainly a human and is certainly entitled to communicate from his prison cell.
On the other hand he is anything but a 'Man of truth' he his record over several years shows that he is not.
Most of his sentence in gaol is not for sedition that is a minor part of his curent sentence.
Let's not obscure the facts.
Well this blog is being picked up in the UK and peeps are talking about it whereever you go. So Tim keep up the good work. From Sue in the UK
.................................Anon, you are right, the majority of his sentence is for dumb stuff he did TEN YEARS AGO! It was after they raided Tims home that they charged him with that fraud - they went over his past with a fine toothed comb so that they could hit him with everything - please note an ex-cop in the same week of Tims sentencing got a $10 000 fine and 100 hours community service for historic sexual molestation charges, and the two Israeli spies who did the same passport fraud as Tim got 6 months - a cop who molests gets no prison time, and two spies get less than half what Tim got - please don't tell me Tim was treated fairly, because he wasn't.
I think crims need to wake up & Smell the coffee
An interesting site with some interesting insight.
The site has strirred up public interest and political debate. Perhaps Tim should go the extra yard. Instead of highlighting prison life, he could be creating a much needed forum to debate the pros and cons ( pardon the pun ), on Justice, Punishment, and Rehabilitation.
All ideologies that appear to suspend in a "constant state of flux". There never seems to be one right answer. Maybe that is due to the human element but one thing is for sure. As long as people prefer to enjoy the comforts of living their lives with their heads buried in the sand; while Governments remain reactive instead of proactive making decisions based on political expediency; crime,its victims and the way it is dealt with, will keep on keeping on!!
It has been mentioned that there is no such thing as Rehabilitation. Perhaps so, and I certainly agree that Prison isn't conducive for such a concept. But there is such a thing as change, and in my opinion the failure by the powers to be, to recognise that a person can change there lives around, grow up, move on, call it what you will, is a crime in itself.
There is an old adage that states, " if your not part of the answer, your part of the problem". And that exemplifies the current regime we see.
What about it Tim??
.............................2much - thank you for your incredibly wise and eloquent words.
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