Tuesday, February 24, 2004

Four Corners [Walls]: Bank Robbers in The Firing Line...

Well folks! Four Corners [Walls] is back "in the firing line" and around every corner there is another wall. They must go out and find these people, to match the profile they seek to exploit.

FOUR WALLS: "ANONYMOUS MAN, CONVICTED ARMED ROBBER: Why would you care about the victim? It's the last thing that enters your mind. You don't want to kill him, but if he mucks you around, well, something's gonna happen to him. If you're talking about armed robbery, you're not walking in there with it to show it around. You're not going to have it unloaded. If you're going to carry it, you're gonna have it loaded. Someone tries to stop you, how foolish are they gonna be? "

FOUR WALLS: "ANONYMOUS MAN, CONVICTED ARMED ROBBER: Well, it's...there's... Look, there's peer pressure, there's a whole heap of peer pressure. Look, I mean, I'm inside and with these young guys listening to this music these days and it's all about putting another clip in the gun and popping this guy and, you know, no-one gives a stuff and, er... Have a look at the clips - everyone's got heaps of money, heaps of girls and they're always fiddling around with guns and everything. And that's what these guys want, you know? And they get into all the gear and they've got the gun, they've got the... (Laughs) You know, they're in their own movie. And they've a gutful of drugs. Shit, they're not even on this planet - they're somewhere else. "

MICHELLE MULVIHILL, TRAUMA COUNSELLOR: What I'm seeing is that people who are conducting bank robberies now are on drugs. They're no longer just simply conducting the bank robbery to buy drugs. They're actually ON drugs when they're doing it. How unpredictable does that make it?

"ANONYMOUS MAN, CONVICTED ARMED ROBBER: You're in the car, you have a shot. Throw the needle on the floor. You go in. Produce your gun. Mate, that's the biggest adrenaline buzz ever. I mean, you've got the shotgun and the gun coming out, bloke's shitting himself, you're in control. It's better than bungee jumping. It's pretty good."

FOUR WALLS: "ANONYMOUS MAN, CONVICTED ARMED ROBBER: Oh, look, for victims of violent crime, real violent crime, yes. You know, someone that's been scarred, um...hurt, shot - OK. But these people that... You know, what are they suffering from? They'll tell you anything - that they can't go into a bank that they've worked in anymore or, you know, they can't go to a counter anymore and have someone come up to them because they've got this...some sort of phobia that they've created - I mean, that's absolute bullshit. I mean, they know they're going to work in a bank. They know what happens in banks. Wake up to themselves. All they're trying to do is jump on the gravy train."

[One person interviewed that remained anonymous couldn't show his head and was ultra mean. You couldn't find a person who hated the world so much. He gave the impression that after committing his crimes he was proud and he talked loud and did not seem to care about his victims.

Yet I've been to prison and never met anyone like that. If you're crazy you might have that attitude after you have committed the crime but soon after a crime is committed, most people regret that they ever had to stoop that low.

This person was out of jail, and you bet, should have been identified as a nutcase. If Four Corners [Walls] are serious about crime then why did this loser remain anonymous?

I will tell you why? Because that was the show. See criminal see maniac see the show and go around the corner and learn to hate people who made mistakes, because they can show an example of an un-remorseful nutcase parading as an X bank robber, who is free but won't show you his face. Proves the lie!]

Other Comments:

Craig Anonymous: I watched Four Corners as well and then read the online forum and comments regards 'In the Firing Line'.

I am actually still unsure what the 'story' was about?

In 1991 I was convicted of robbing five banks in Sydney NSW during 1990.

And

I forever will carry with me the memory of the faces of those in the banks I robbed. Even whilst committing the offences I was inwardly disgusted with myself and that my life had come to this. Of course, I 'pretended' the tough guy facade and took membership of the 'bank-robbing fraternity'

When I robbed the banks, I endeavoured to minimise the trauma upon the victims. A matter easily verifiable by reading the transcripts at sentencing.

In fact it was the sentencing judge himself who made a point of 'the absence of the usual threats and violence associated with such robberies' in my favour whereas the Prosecution wanted no consideration.

The weapon used was a military carbine. Not the 'rusty double barrelled shotgun' mentioned in the forum nor the 'cut down .22 rifle. My greatest fear was if a member of the public or a victim decided to take the weapon from me and the nature of the weapon being that a terrified victim would kill someone. So I ensured that the weapon had a loaded magazine but no round in the barrel. The weapon was 'uncocked' with the 'cocking handle' removed but operable to those who have seen this 'field modification' and with safety catch always on.

I tried to not even swear.

Didn't change a thing. I still saw with my own eyes the direct fear in the faces of my 'victims' to compound my own shame. But I can offer this, 3 banks I robbed in Crows Nest, 1 in the City and 1 on Sydney's Northern Beaches. No teller or customer present in any of 'my' robberies availed themselves of the Victims Compensation Scheme nor made any claim against me.

Yet the system existed. Whereas 'today's' world it's the first thing on people's minds...how much? Not, how are you and are you all right?

The End Result was 'doing' 10 years 'on the bottom' with an "Escapee" Classification which saw nearly all of that time served in maximum-security gaol. Long Bay, Lithgow and Bathurst. To those who know the true 'picture', ten years in maximum is no 'walk in the park', but as the Forum pointed out, I had been 'prepared and trained' by earlier exposure and imprisonment in juvenile detention and gaol and at only 37.

After my ten years behind walls (effectively the entire 90's) I returned to my childhood home, a story was published about me under pseudonym in The Manly Daily titled "Going Straight" in 2000.

I even told my then parole officer that I wanted to 're-visit' the banks I had robbed to offer apologies (even knowing no staff or customers were likely to be there ten years later) but more to allow any person who wished to 'hurl invective' at me the opportunity to do so.

My then parole officer did not approve of my plan. Perhaps Parole did not 'want me to be sorry'?

Regardless. I WOULD NEVER glorify or condone robbing banks. Nor would I hold anyone up as an 'acceptable bank robber'.

Yes I truly regret the wasted years. I and other 'long termers' would joke ironically how much nicer it would to be a homeless derelict with no money than wasting ten years plus of life imprisoned.

To the 'victims', tellers and customers. "I am sorry and ashamed of myself' and hope that it may be of some comfort to know that gaol is not 'easy' no matter what 'propaganda' is offered that it is. Take comfort that I 'was made to pay' and 'given cause for reflection'

Alas, I did not embark on a BA in Communications Studies. (I received a GPS Education) gaol did not train or even retrain me for any worthwhile purpose.

I preferred working and the old adage 'actions speak louder than words'.

And in my 'work' take comfort from those I encounter who tell me that they would never have imagined that I had been in gaol for so long and that I had paid back through my work my debt to society. In my work I even received a reference headed by no less than the now late Sir Roden Cutler VC former NSW State Governor.

I can only offer this insight. The common theme throughout the story was money. Cold Hard Cash. How to rob a bank with a gun for money and how to then seek cash for victims from the banks and Victims Compensation, money for the lawyers, the prisons. It really is the root cause of all evil isn't it?

Ed: WHO IS THE ANONYMOUS MAN? SHOULD FOUR CORNERS [WALLS] GIVE UP THIS EVIL MONSTER?

WHERE DID FOUR WALLS FIND THIS EVIL MONSTER?

DID FOUR WALLS GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO DEMONISE PEOPLE WHOM MAKE MISTAKES BY USING THE ANONYMOUS MAN TO GIVE A FALSE AND MISLEADING IMPRESSION ABOUT CRIME?

WHAT WAS FOUR WALLS MOTIVE? IS THE ANONYMOUS MAN FOR HIRE?


By Cold Hard Cash 24 February 04

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John Hatzistergos Minister for Justice is meeting with Brett Collins and Justice Action today at 11:30 a.m.

ARUNTA PHONE SYSTEM: IDC Lithgow Prison
The prisoners of Lithgow Correctional Centre have requested that the Lithgow Inmate Development Committee write to you on their behalf and ask that the phone systems heavy burden upon the prisoners at this institution and their families be reviewed. I will outline the problems.

Health problems denied in prison
Lithgow Correctional Centre (IDC) Inmate Development Committee "Currently there are 72 inmates on the doctors waiting list with only one doctor coming fortnightly and usually on a weekend".

NSW Prisons Inmate Development Committee speaks out
I am writing on behalf of the IDC Inmate Development Committee in area 3, MSPC at Long Bay. Area 3 is where, the Department is congregating minimum-security offenders within maximum-security walls whilst awaiting mandatory programs at Cubit (Sex Offenders Program).

THE GULAG TREATMENT - The Trauma Of Court Appearances When Incarcerated Prisoner transport vehicle 10th January 2003 It's about 4.40am, very darkoutside and although I'm expecting it, it is still intrusive when my dreams are interrupted by the sound of my name, it is the officer checking that I'm awake ready to face the long day ahead.

Sir David Longland Correctional Centre
If it were possible to characterize the term B Block attitude in a modern dictionary, it would read something like "demeanor of inhabitance" or "state of mind or behaviour of occupants".

SIR DAVID LONGLAND CORRECTIONAL CENTRE QLD - CELLS IN B BLOCK The cells in B Block are like no other in any Queensland prison. After Mr. Cooper was severally embarrassed by the Abbott and Co escape on 4th November 1997, he visited B Block and the surrounding grounds. It was that visit, by Cooper, that set in motion a plan (up the ante) to make sure security in B Block would never embarrass him again. It was like closing the gate after the horse has bolted.

Inspector General Ignored On Womens Prison
Four months after a report from the Inspector General on Mulawa Correctional Centre, key recommendations involving safety and welfare of prisoners and staff have been ignored. Kathryn Armstrong (former chair of Inmate Development Committee) and Annabel Walsh, released from Mulawa Womens Prison in February, have produced an independent report confirming the findings of the Inspector General.

Distribution of: 'How to Votes in prisons'?
Justice Action have received information from Andrew Burke of the NSW Greens that they have enquired with the Department of Corrective Services as to the procedure for distributing their How To Votes in prisons in the period before the election.

Getting Justice Wrong DPP make full admissions
Back in May 2001 Nicholas Cowdery QC made an error at law by giving a speech called Getting Justice Wrong at the University of New England, Armidale Thursday, 31 May 2001. Sir Frank Kitto, Lecture now published at the DPP website. At page six, paragraph 3 under the heading:

NSW ELECTION 2003: VOTE 1 GREENS
Inspector-General: The Greens believe that the role of the Inspector-General is crucial to the proper functioning of the prison system. It has never been more important to have a powerful watchdog role than today. Section 3.11 of our Criminal Justice Policy commits the Greens to "strengthening the role of the Inspector-General of Prisons."

Long Bay Prison: The latest inside story
Private food purchases called Buy-Ups that normally take care of the prisoners additional food nutrition in Jail has been changed.

Doing time even harder: 146 prisoners far from home
The United States, however, has detained without trial about 650 men from 43 countries. They include Australians David Hicks and Mamdouh Habib, who are held at the Guantanamo Bay naval base as part of the sweep against global terrorism [scapegoats for the Coalition of the Killing's, pre-emptive strikes, occupation and genocide for resources in the Middle East.]

Human Rights 'Framed'
Here is a quick report on our Human Rights Commission approach on Framed (the quarterly magazine of Justice Action) being banned from all NSW prisons. After 42 issues went in.

Prison Privatisation: Death camps looming in NSW
I asked for the identification of the person I was speaking to and was told that I was not entitled to that information. I needed to verify the call and asked for a name or number to register my call because I was asked to get those details by my coordinator.The person refused to identify themselves either by name or number. I asked to be transferred to a senior person and was refused. The person I spoke to then hung up the phone.

Corrections Victoria and criminal acts: SCS-4\320 UPDATE
You have stated "Section 30 of the Corrections Act 1986 and the Information Privacy Act 2000, restricts the release of confidential information regarding prisoners, I therefore am unable to provide any information regarding this matter."

Death camps looming in Victoria
A letter was received on 15 January 03 from SCS-4\320 a remand prisoner in Victoria's Barwon Prison I later found out that the prisoner was in the Acacia High Security Unit.

Take crime talk beyond the bars:'lobby group'
A coalition of academics, crime experts, welfare and church groups is preparing to launch an intensive pre-election campaign aimed at refocusing the attention of NSW politicians from harsh sentencing reforms to crime prevention strategies.

Six weeks, six months, six years: inmates have little chance of making fresh start More than 15,500 people are released from NSW prisons each year, twice the number of 20 years ago. But new research shows many ex-prisoners find it impossible to reintegrate into society and, months after release, are worse off than before they went to jail.

NSW A-G moves to stop criminals and ex-criminals selling stories
From next month criminals or ex-criminals who try to profit (earn a living for paid work, like writing a book etc..) from their crimes in New South Wales will have the proceeds confiscated.

NSW Govt criticised over criminal justice record
Key criminal justice groups have described the New South Wales Government's record on justice issues as a "disappointing performance".

APPOINTMENT OF KLOK IS: 'DECLARATION OF WAR'
The decision of the Carr government to appoint John Jacob Klok as the new Assistant Commissioner for Corrective Services in charge of security represents a statement of contempt to all those concerned about law and justice in NSW.

Prisoners Representatives Excommunicated
Ron Woodham, Commissioner Corrective Services stated "[this Department] does not recognise Justice Action as an advocate on correctional centre issues." He has ordered a ban on all Justice Action material inside the NSW prison system. This resulted from a request for the approval of the latest edition of Framed (the Magazine of Justice Action) to be distributed throughout NSW prisons as has occurred for the past ten years.

Dept of Corrective Services: Rotten Ron Woodham on the ropes
This is The Freeedom Of Speech and The Press in a goldfish-bowl! Herr Goebells has spoken. Zieg Heil! (Which means, actually: "aim-for health!" incidentally)Apologies for not making meetings ... my first experiences with Woodham (then a -screw-gestapo-minor-with-a-friendly-dog - AND YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS WHEN EVEN HIS DOG DOESN`T LIKE HIM?)

At the Minister's Pleasure The case of Michael Kelly
Michael is caught up in a particularly cruel version of the game of Cat and Mouse. Because he is classified as a forensic patient under the Mental Heath Act of NSW, the Minister for Health is his master, not the Minister for Corrective Services. And the Minister for health will not let him go.

EX-PRISONER UNEMPLOYMENT: SENTENCED FOR LIFE
Name removed by request served time in prison decades ago. Shes still being punished today. According to commonwealth and state legislation, ex-prisoners applying for jobs must declare any conviction that fits into the following categories: less than 10 years old, more than 10 years old but served more than 30 months in prison.

ARE YOU INNOCENT?
The Australian Law Reform Commission had recommended that the Innocence Panel be independent and have the power to investigate alleged miscarriages of justice.

RESTORING TRUE JUSTICE:
Australian prisons are fast becoming the new asylums of the third millennium. The prison industry is booming, while Australia spends far less on mental health services than similar countries.

Medical records Alex Mitchell's lost world
Perhaps we can get your medical report and spew it around publicly so you can see how it feels. But surely we do not have to go that far. And of course we are law-abiding citizens and I should think it would be enough to remind you of your ethics to report at all.

NSW Department of Corrective Services attack right to privacy
Corrective Services Minister Richard Amery has a problem attacking prisoners right to privacy.It seems to us that a civil society is best served when social justice laws are applied to all people regardless of their circumstances. Once government starts making exceptions which disadvantage certain groups and individuals, such laws are meaningless.

Litigants are drowning: in the High Court
There were so many self represented litigants appearing in the High Court that more than half of its registry staff's time was taken up in dealing with them. The "go it alone" litigants have to take on tasks well above their qualified league causing them stress. This growing problem cannot be left unchecked.

Everyone wants to get out of 'jail' but 'Framed' wants life: Rotten Ron on the ropes On 2 May 2002, Justice Action received a faxed letter from Manager of DCS Operations Support Branch saying that, in his view, articles in Framed edition #42 'lack balance and integrity' and he is therefore 'not prepared to recommend this issue of Framed for placement in to correctional centre libraries.' Prisoners and those concerned about prisoner issues have very few sources of information.

Methadone addicts formed within: 'NSW Prisons'
The New South Wales Opposition has accused the State Government of turning jailed heroin users into Methadone addicts.

Murder charge first for DNA data bank link, but not the same as solving the murder Mass DNA testing of prisoners has [allegedly] led to the first NSW case of a person being charged with a previously unsolved murder as a result of a controversial gene-matching data bank.

Prisoners can prove innocence for $20?
Les Kennedy Daily Telegraph reported today that" Prisoners who believe that DNA will prove they were wrongly convicted will have the chance to prove their innocence for a mere $20 administration fee. The move comes 20 months after NSW inmates were asked to provide DNA for comparison with a databank of DNA from unsolved crime scenes for possible convictions.

NSW opposition pledges review of detention laws
A spokesperson for Justice Action Ms Anal Advice said " NSW Prisons are a sex offence if you have been raped, bashed and squatted down to be strip searched. People should be diverted from going there at all material times".

Civil libertarians condemn planned changes to prisoners' privacy rights The New South Wales Government is using a recent case involving [framed] serial killer Ivan Milat to justify its decision to remove the privacy rights of prisoners. But really just another attack on Ivan Milat from Parliament House.

The punishment: Is the 'crime'
The punishment is the crime according to retired chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia Justice Alistair Nicholson. "Smacking a child ought to be seen as assault".

NSW prisons - primary industry bailed up!
In many quiet regional centres around NSW there is a new primary industry shaping up. It has something to do with Bail but not with bales. The minister for Agriculture Richard Amery who also has the prisons portfolio is now committed to farming prisoners.

Black Nexus
The Separation of Powers Doctrine is nowcontaminated witharangeofcolours, now leaving us with a black shirt on a once blue bridge that crossed that thin blue line. The 'Amery and Woodham show'.

Prison Mind Games-Do they exist?
Directives are given inside the prison system that are not consistent with the law in NSW. And not in the good interests of the health and well being of the prisoners.

The Government is likely to abolish the Inspector General of Corrective Services position The Mulawa inspection report recommendations below strictly illustrate how important he is.

Chronology - A History of Australian Prisons
[Allegedly:] The events that have shaped NSW prisons - from convict days through royal commissions, to the Supermax of today. [I say allegedly because no one should trust Four Corners [Walls], why? Because they spill out the propaganda of the day for the Government, whether it be wrong or right. A government that lies and has no remorse about it.]

Justice Action
Justice Action is a community based organisation of criminal justice activists. We are prisoners, academics, victims of crime, ex-prisoners, lawyers and general community members. We believe that meaningful change depends upon free exchange of information and community responsibility.

Beyond Bars Alliance colleagues
I imagine all of you received Justice Action's email yesterday regarding the position of Inspector General of Corrective Services.

Community Restorative Centre
NSW spends more than half a billion tax dollars a year on prisons. It costs $60,000 to keep someone in maximum security for a year: more than double the minimum wage. CRC looks for and implements better solutions to the high social and economic costs of crime.

Sisters Inside Inc
Sisters Inside Inc. is an independent community organisation, which exists to advocate for the human rights of women in the criminal justice system, and to address gaps in the services available to them. We work alongside women in prison in determining the best way to fulfil these roles.

Smart Justice
Smart Justice does not support any party but calls for investment in prevention, alternatives to custody and initiatives that tackle the causes of crime. It is important to dispel the myths about 'law and order' and promote real solutions to crime and violence.

Shine For Kids
What happens for a young person who has a parent in prison?
There are a lot of consequences for children or young people who have a parent in prison. During Groupwork the kids themselves have identified as being:

Children of Prisoners' Support Group
Children of Prisoner's welcomes Ann Symonds as our first Patron at this years AGM and screening of "The Space in Between" video , and will have a visual display to demonstrate the invisible population of children effected by parental incarceration.