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The Forum > Article Comments > The tale of Russell 'The Fox' Cox and the prison that never was > Comments

The tale of Russell 'The Fox' Cox and the prison that never was : Comments

By Bernie Matthews, published 6/12/2004

Bernie Matthews describes the circumstances of Russell 'The Fox' Cox's escape from Katingal in NSW

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Bernie it was an interesting article on Russell Cox as we really only get to hear what the media want us the public to know,but listening from your side of the fence is informative.

I have read a few of your articles and have found them to be interesting,straight to the point and some controversial.

You sound very intelligent and write excellent stories did you learn this skill whilst in jail, or after you were released.

Lea
Posted by lea, Wednesday, 15 December 2004 9:43:21 PM
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Good article, Bernie. Good on you brother.
Posted by RoBin, Saturday, 25 December 2004 10:15:35 AM
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Dear Paul Huxtable.

My view of the criminal justice system is exactly that- it is a CRIMINAL system- and so saying, I fully support Bernie's use of the name Nelson Mendela- for just as the South African system was criminal, so too is the NSW criminal 'justice' system, and Australia's.

I welcome the day that police officers such as yourself, public prosecutors, and Judges will come out and tell the truth about the criminal underclass of this country- and that truth is that for many prisoners, they are a product of the system.

Near on 40% of all of our prisoners- and that would be a higher percentage of the dangerous and recidivist ones- emerge from the child 'welfare' system. That is, they were in the care of the State and/ or churches as children- in its ophanages, institutions or foster care systems. (only 0.2% of the population experiences such 'care')

Your justice system only works on retrospectivity (prosecution after the crime) and sees has absolutly nothing to say about the system from whence most of the people who keep you all 'gainfully' employed arise.

Nor until recently (Wood Royal Commission) did your collective sense of 'justice' even seek to give what little protection it now offers- to the children who are being abused in the child welfare system by your public service/ crown employee colleagues.

Your contention that Cox is nothing more than a grot may be correct, but the likelyhood is that he, and many of his fellow inmates are grots produced by the system that will not stop manufacturing such people.

Grots beget grots I guess!

And NSW being a penal colony, it has learnt how to profitably manufacture the grots it requires to keep so many gainfully employed in our criminal justice system from the Judges down.

It would be nice to see you extend your desire to 'protect the community' into alerting the public about where most of our societies boogeymen come from- rather then purpetuating a system that keeps the public ill-informed, and suffering!

Keep up the good works Mr. Bernie Matthews- you are overturning the rocks and forcing us to watch the crawly little things scurry back into the darkness where they prefer to hide.

John Murray
Posted by J Christian Murray, Monday, 10 January 2005 4:03:03 PM
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Hi Bernie,

First time reader doing some research and i came accross this artical which i found very interesting as i did hear a bit about the Russell Cox recapture in the 80's and the Denning turned informant debarcle. I agree and have heard of some of the treatment prisoners get inside and some of it is horrifying to hear but also have heard what some of these criminals have done to their victims which is also quite bad. Your mention of Nelson Mandela brought back some memories of a parole hearing i attended over 6 years ago which was not looking too promising, 2 comments were made from this inmate who was representing himself at the hearing. 'How can you say i wont make it on the outside after all these years when Nelson Mandela was released after so many years and is now running a country'...the 2nd comment that i will never forget was 'I've had enough of this life, ive seen murderers and child molestors come in and get out before me'. That will always stick in my mind and will always confirm to me that the justice system is backward in this country when a bank robber is doing more time than child molestors and murderers. Although i'm not saying it is right what bank robbers do, it definitely is but if you gave me a choice, i'd rather work in a bank and hand over their cash to someone with a balaclava on than my young daughter or son being molested. They are the real grots in the system and maybe we should put a bit more focus on keeping them locked up forever.

Michael Carrion
Posted by Lardy, Monday, 4 July 2005 2:06:21 AM
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Bernie's article accurately describes the Katigal disaster. The real tragedy is that many of our curent prisons are just as bad where murder and suicide are rife and solitary confinement substitutes for innovative and humane programs. The Katingal; legacy is alive and well today and anyone who says it isn't has no idea on the reality of life in contemporary Australian prisons.
Posted by Paul, Monday, 4 July 2005 9:23:36 AM
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