Hi Friends, The campaign for free and continual computer access for prisoners in NSW Australia has moved on rapidly. Politically, in the lower house the opposition spokesperson Brad Hazzard has "expressed concern over action taken by the Dept in refusing to allow the provision of computers..." And "...it is time that the Minister responded by pointing out to the Dept that computers are needed for educational purposes and for proper preparation of inmates' court cases." 14/9/99 The independents have already indicated their support on the issue and together with the opposition constitute a majority in the upper house. On the ground, the Department represented by Senior Assistant Commissioner Ron Woodham (discredited by his behavior exposed by the Nagle Royal Commission and ICAC) directed that the computers that were donated and already being used be dismantled and returned immediately. Promptly a van turned up the next morning at the Justice Action office with the computers escorted by an education officer and a prisoner. Unfortunately JA didn't have any room for the computers. The disappointed prisoner and education officer had to take them back to the jail. We have had requests for further computers from other states through their prisoner committees, sanctioned by management, and will be continuing the supplies. We are also surprised by the number of prisoners doing computer courses and with hardware ability. Both women and men are keen as mustard. Brett Collins Breakout Design & Print (coordinator) Justice Action (a spokesperson) 19 Buckland St, Chippendale, NSW 2008, Australia P.O. Box 386, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] voice: 61-2-9281-5100 fax: 9281-5303 Please log into the Justice Action Web site, designed and sponsored by Breakout Design & Print, exercising good corporate citizenship: http://www.justiceaction.org.au Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
