Hi,

Could someone tell me what the process and series of events are from the minute the Judge hands down the sentence to lights out on the first in the cell?

I'm trying to get a comprehension of what it must be like for people who one minute are free, then the next are removed from their life as they know it and incarcerated into the Australian prison system.


Lochie

Hi Lochie and welcome to PTO
When the judge hands down the sentence, you are taken back to the watch house at the police station, to await transport. At this stage, you have no idea where you are going, you dont know until you get there.
When you get into transport, you are placed into a small steel box, and handcuffed, 4 people can ride in one of the compartments, and they are 1x2x3 metre box. Once you get the the correctional facility you have an intake through the prisoner reception, and are kept in a holding cell, until it is your turn to be processed. When it is your turn to be processed you have a full strip search, then you are made to shower, and shave if need be, because after you are processed, your appearance much match your inmate ID card at all times. They put all your details in the computer , you then have a medical examination, where they test you for HIV, and Hepatitas, as well as write medication you may need.
After your medical, you are given a short psychiatric assesment with a councellor and a psychologist. You are given three sets of track pants, Tshirt, shorts, etc, a bowl, a plate and a saucer, and coffee cup, knife, fork and spoon which are all plastic, and you are taken to secure housing, where you spend 2 weeks.
There is a thread in here about a day in a life of an Australian inmate, that may be of some interest to you .

Hi Kyla,

Yes I read that which prompted me to post this thread, thanks for answering my query :)

To be honest I have no knowledge of the prison system at all, except what I've seen depicted on TV, Hollywood etc....I assume this pretty far fetched, but just how much so?

eg the whole Shawshank Redemption thing, you know where said inmate decideds he takes a disliking to you, or even worse a fancy for you.

Just how open is it, and accessible are you to someone you perhaps don't want to be around? and is there anything you can do about it?

I might be treading a fine line here making this enquiry, and I have no doubt that there's a whole different set of 'unsaid rules' for inmates compared to people on the outside....just curious - how scary is it?

Lochie
No ask all the questions you want to ask. My husband went in, and I remember standing at the police station, crying, is it like Alcatraz (I had no idea either).

Not everyone actually gets along in prison, I believe, so you have to of course, have your head up at all times, and try not to start a conflict with another inmate. If there is someone you dont like, or get along with, it is better to perhaps avoid them, then report them to a guard, as this can cause alot of problems for yourself, so the best way is to deal with it, and get over it. If you were to report them to a guard, you would probably be labelled a snitch, and life could get difficult for you with the other inmates.
I have never been in an Australian prison, exept visiting, but they have alot of recreation, they have jobs to go to within the prison every day, courses they can take, etc. I believed it was like a holllywood movie to (and of course, thought the worst), but its not like that at all. I am not saying prison is a good place for people to be in, but when I found out it wasnt like Alcatraz, I relaxed a little. The outside of the prison, of course is daunting, they have fences on fences , with razor wire, and its all concrete, so it looks scary like that.

Also keep in mind that U.S. Prisons are different than Australian prisons in many ways.. Just as each U.S. Prison System (State) are different.