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The Forum > Article Comments > A view from a living hell > Comments

A view from a living hell : Comments

By Bernie Matthews, published 12/5/2006

One man's story from the prison that never was.

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The variety of comments, put forward have good points. Bernie was just explaining a situation, he was not trying to justify his position or history. How to treat those committing crimes is no easy task, as all are different.

Having been involved in the NSW prison system during the time Bernie mentions, I can assure you that he speaks the truth. Its a violent place, lots of screws join the service when they fail to become cops or the armed services rejects them for some reason. There are many misfits looking after prisoners, they get joy out of seeing people suffer. The same goes for prisoners, so when you have these two groups together, sparks can fly. I know Katingal, its not a nice place. I also know tracs at Goulburn gaol and have seen it in action on many occasions, its not for the faint hearted.

Changes began when Tony Vinson took charge of the system, he started to humanise the system. I dealt with senior screws that were transferred out of Grafton and investigated, they were hard men who caused a lot of problems and were vicious in their work. They believed that beatings and deprivation worked, it didn't take long to prove them wrong.

We will always have crime and we must lock up those that commit crime, but the system still isn't what it should be. People should come out of jail changed for the better, education does that. If we remove the corruption from the system and educate the crims properly, we may go forward.

Bernie wrote this very well, yet kept many things back. Everything goes on in jail that goes on outside, its just more intense.
Posted by The alchemist, Friday, 12 May 2006 6:18:32 PM
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This artical is the most convincing argument for reintroducing the death penalty I have ever read.
Posted by Hasbeen, Friday, 12 May 2006 11:37:01 PM
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I got the sense that Bernie's portrayal of himself and fellow prisoners was somewhat heroic. Maybe they can all wear T-shirts that say "I survived Katringal."

He gives us an accurate accounting of his experience, but one where I too find no remorse, or sympathy for the people who were victimized by these criminals.

There are many examples of prisons where the conditions are ones of abuse, deprivation, humiliation. Abu Ghraib, and Guantanamo come to recent memory. Without strict oversight any place of detention can become a living hell for those being incarcerated.

We have a Sheriff in Phoenix, Arizona who has brought back the good old days of prison life. He has erected a tent city to address overcrowding, implemented chain gangs, and uses boot camp on young offenders to scare them straight. Sheriff Joe's philosophy, prison should be a place you don't want to go again.

My point is this, it is the job of authority to protect the citizens from the criminal element. It takes great courage, discipline and patience for men in authority to lead properly, to set the example, not become the thing they hate.

The problem with authority on all levels, is finding men who want that authority for the right reasons. Because they want to serve, not feed their own petty egos with the need to seek power. Unfortunately, we have more of the latter example and too few of the former.

Lack of real leaders, men of conscience, justice, humility are as rare as hens teeth, always have been, always will be. Until then, everyone of us had better hope that we never become a guest of the state and experience prison life.
Posted by Patty Jr. Satanic Feminist, Saturday, 13 May 2006 1:31:58 AM
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Patti Jr. The best and only way to avoid a prison sentence is to keep one's hands off other people's goods,don't hurt other people and though being law abiding may be boring,it is more peaceful in the long run.
It is not hard to toe the line and it makes for the well being of society if everyone co operates.
Kinder to one's children.Kinder to oneself because there is less conflict within and without.
Posted by mickijo, Saturday, 13 May 2006 2:50:19 PM
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The only people who were there were intractable violent crimals who were so dangerous that they had to be kept in a secure environment. They didn't like it. People like Bernie Matthews are only interested in the system being "humane" when it affected him. Not much humanity was shown towards their many victims, some of whom were prison officers who they saw as fair game. It was only that a soft headed Tony Vinson was appointed in a reaction to the Bathurst riots that criminals like Matthews got a say in things. If I were Bernie Matthews I'd keep quiet about Katingal in case people found out why you were there.
Posted by Atman, Saturday, 13 May 2006 6:03:40 PM
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Mickijo, While I agree with your characterization that if we keep our noses clean and be kind to one another we can avoid being imprisoned. I was referring to the persons who through circumstantial evidence are wrongly imprisoned. Since the validation of DNA evidence men and women are belong proven not guilty after serving years of wrongful imprisonment. Our jails and prisons are also full of drug offenders who are not necessarily criminals but people who have an addictive personality whose crime is one of possession of a controlled substance. These people need help, not imprisonment. I'm not saying that they are not guilty if while in possession they are committing a crime. Clearly that type of offender is a criminal.
Posted by Patty Jr. Satanic Feminist, Sunday, 14 May 2006 5:19:22 AM
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