Justice Action has accomplished a lot during 2020 that we are proud of, let’s rewind and look at a few of our outstanding achievements: Computer tablets into five prisons with all prisoners having them in their cells, connected to the internet with whitelisted websites and with a phoneDeaths in custody national national database proposal and …
Media release: Friday December 18, 2020 “All mental health authorities across Australia have responded in this Report about the forced medication of 74 year old mother of five Kerry O’Malley. Her case was won in the Supreme Court. It was illegal abuse of a gentle woman” said Justice Action Coordinator Brett Collins. “The injections caused …
Media release: Friday December 18, 2020 All mental health authorities across Australia have responded in this Report about the forced medication of 74 year old mother of five Kerry O’Malley. Her case was won in the Supreme Court. It was illegal abuse of a gentle woman. The injections caused severe side effects. She was accused of sitting in a …
Justice Action Media Release: Forced Medication Rejection Report Read More »
Friday, 18 December 2020 The Supreme Court victory in the Kerry O’Malley case has exposed the abuse of vulnerable people by the Australian mental health system. Her treatment highlights the disrespect offered to consumers in the current system. This report documents the responses of the key decision makers to a challenge on the central policy …
Negotiations with Key Decision Makers on their policies for Forced Medication Read More »
Friday, 18 December 2020 Introduction This report details the responses of mental health authorities and consumer organisations to the efforts to stop the forced medication of Ms. Kerry O’Malley. The treatment she experienced highlights the disrespect towards consumers by the Australian mental health system. It exposes consumer powerlessness despite the rhetoric and money spent, intended …
Responses by Mental Health Authorities and Stakeholders to the Kerry O’Malley Case Read More »
In order to remedy the current inefficacy of strip-searches, we demand the following:
Currently, LEPRA authorises strip-searches upon ‘reasonable grounds’ of necessity, urgency and existing circumstances. With the criteria of ‘reasonable grounds’ undefined and vague, strip-searches are conducted inconsistently and are therefore an arbitrary use of power. Additionally, police are permitted to use ‘reasonable force’ in conducting strip-searches. With this also vague, strip-searches are subject to further vulnerability, …
The effects of strip-searches are significant and varied. They have the capacity to trigger traumatic memories of prisoners, with 45% of women in prison reporting that they experienced abuse by a partner the year prior to incarceration, and 49% of all female prisoners’ victims of some form of child abuse. Additionally, strip-searches exacerbate the disproportionate …
Strip-searches are carried out for the purpose of identifying and seizing contraband, and are also conducted based on the belief that strip searches increase security. However, there is no empirical evidence to support the effectiveness of strip-searches in finding contraband. For example, an examination of 6 months of strip-searches in Victorian women’s prisons found just …