View Full Version : (Australia) Ex-pat prisoners to return home


Nemesis
03-11-2004, 02:14 PM
http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,8944084255E2,00.html

March 12, 2004

FOUR foreigners in NSW jails will be sent back to their home countries and two Australians in Thai prisons will come home to finish their sentences under an inmate exchange deal.

NSW prisons are home to about 500 foreign nationals, and an estimated 185 Australians are serving time in foreign prisons.

NSW Justice Minister John Hatzistergos said today the prisoner exchange would allow greater contact with family and friends and help with prisoner rehabilitation.

"Children should not be punished for the transgressions of their parents," Mr Hatzistergos said in a statement.

"It has been many years in the making but this important scheme is finally producing results and more countries are joining – with Japan and the state of Serbia and Montenegro recently signing up, taking the number of countries (involved) to 52."

Arrangements were being made to bring Jane Dawson McKenzie and Deborah Letitia Spinner back to Australia from Thai jails.

Four people convicted of illegal imports to Australia would be sent home to the Netherlands under the prisoner exchange program.

Under the scheme, the government seeking the return of inmates must send officers overseas to escort prisoners back to their home country.

AAP

Kyla
03-11-2004, 04:08 PM
Nemisis
I had that article moved over here to :)
I think thats an excellent idea, what they are doing. If they have long sentences, in other prisons, its important for rehabilitaion to be near there family and friends.
I would personally hate to be locked up in a Thai prison (maybe I have watched to many movies, but it looks awful).
I am so glad that they are doing this. Makes me respect the australian prison system a "little" bit more.

Nemesis
03-11-2004, 05:08 PM
I think so too. I agree it is total turnaround to the American system of punishing the families of prisoners as well as the prisoners themselves.