Death brinkmanship patients lockdown

“The Minister for Justice Mr Hazistergos has been finally called to order by patients in the Long Bay Prison Hospital. After his unmet promise to Parliament on November 12 that no forensic patients would remain locked down in his prison hospital after November 28, the first protest has occurred” said JA spokesperson Brett Collins.

“One patient has refused heart medication until they are moved to the Health Department’s Forensic Hospital. The patient said yesterday: ‘Death is better than 18 hours solitary confinement driving us mad’. Nurses warned him that he was risking his life to not take the 7 different tablets each day. The Iranian Ambassador and Consul General met with the patient on Friday afternoon and have asked for an explanation from Premier Nathan Rees and the Prime Minister. This is a breach of government responsibility” said Mr Collins.

“The Labor Government spent $130 million dollars on two new hospitals. It has managed the new facilities so badly that the patients have been locked in solitary confinement from 3.30 in the afternoon instead of 9pm since April 2, to cut costs. The total mental health community including Australia’s peak bodies, leading psychiatrists, and nurses have said that this seclusion is causing mental illness for already sick patients” said Mr Collins.

“In an Urgency Motion 12/11 in the Legislative Council all parties including the Shooters Party and Christian Democrats forced the Government to explain itself. The Minister abused and threatened those questioning his decisions, but assured them that the situation would end on November 28. (transcripts see JA website) But the patients remain locked down” said Mr Collins.

Prison officers are meeting with the Corrective Services this morning. They have protested at the loss of their 28 positions.

Contact: Brett Collins 0438 705003

Related:

VICTORY FOR MENTAL PATIENTS
“Finally the government has acknowledged the right of mental patients to treatment that respects their special needs. To cause vulnerable citizens to suffer for administrative purposes is essentially torture and diminishes us as a community” said JA spokesperson Brett Collins.

LINE IN SAND ON MENTAL HEALTH
“Patients under state control have had their social interaction reduced, and right to smoke removed. These vulnerable and isolated citizens, to whom the state owes a special obligation, are extremely distressed and have asked for community assistance,” said JA spokesperson Michael Poynder.

Madness causing madness in prison hospital
“Fifty mental health patients held at the Long Bay Prison Hospital have from yesterday been locked in cells from 3.30 in the afternoon rather than the normal 9pm” said JA spokesperson Brett Collins.

Prison privatisation morally wrong, bankrupt
“The NSW Government’s mini budget decision to privatise Cessnock and Parklea prisons would add them to the disaster that prison privatisation has proven around the world. Unions NSW added its voice in a resolution last night.” said JA Coordinator Brett Collins.

Two more NSW jails to be privatised
PRIVATE operators will take over the running of two NSW jails under an obscure provision in the mini-budget that the Rees Government hoped would go unnoticed.

NSW prisoners confined to cells for strike
“The ultimate responsibility for government is the creation of a safer society. Corrective Services spends $70,000 a prisoner a year, yet 44% of prisoners return to prison within two years. Cutting services through privatisation will mean worse results and higher costs eventually, which will be borne by the victims and taxpayers” said Justice Action spokesperson Michael Poynder.

Prison officers to stage 24-hour strike
NSW prison officers will stage a 24-hour strike over fears the government is planning to privatise prisons and prisoner transport services.

VICTORY FOR MENTAL PATIENTS

“Finally the government has acknowledged the right of mental patients to treatment that respects their special needs. To cause vulnerable citizens to suffer for administrative purposes is essentially torture and diminishes us as a community” said JA spokesperson Brett Collins.

“The NSW government has decided to transfer control of the Long Bay prison hospital to the Health Department, thereby ending the uproar caused by their decision in April to reduce time out of cells to cut costs” said JA spokesperson Michael Poynder.

The Health profession including Australia’s leading forensic psychiatrists, nurses and the Mental Health Council of Australia, unanimously agreed that locking patients in solitary confinement from 3.30 in the afternoon to 8.40am the following day would be likely to exacerbate mental illness” said Mr Collins.

“The campaign for the reversal began with a petition from the patients and finally had two Notices of Motion before State Parliament, Supreme Court pending proceedings and pending proceedings based on breaches of Australia's human rights obligations under International Treaties, a complaint before ICAC alleging corrupt behaviour, critical media coverage including Stateline ABC TV, and numerous letters to the Minister for Justice from leading forensic psychiatrists, the NSW Nurses Association, HREOC, the Aboriginal Justice Advisory Council, SANE Australia, NCOSS, and other significant community organizations” said Mr Poynder.

We acknowledge the preparedness of the government to listen to the community’s concern” said Mr Collins.

Comments:
Brett Collins 0438 705003 or Michael Poynder 0401 371077
Sebastian Rosenberg, Deputy CEO, Mental Health Council of Australia 02 6285 0802 or 0417 289913
Sylvia Hale MLC NSW Greens (policy advisor Hazel Blunden) 9230 3030
Brett Holmes, General Secretary, NSW Nurses Association 8595 1234

News report

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Related:

LINE IN SAND ON MENTAL HEALTH
“Patients under state control have had their social interaction reduced, and right to smoke removed. These vulnerable and isolated citizens, to whom the state owes a special obligation, are extremely distressed and have asked for community assistance,” said JA spokesperson Michael Poynder.

Madness causing madness in prison hospital
“Fifty mental health patients held at the Long Bay Prison Hospital have from yesterday been locked in cells from 3.30 in the afternoon rather than the normal 9pm” said JA spokesperson Brett Collins.

Australia: Mental health problems on the rise among youth: academic

A Brisbane academic says the number of young people with mental health problems is increasing.

Professor Graham Martin from the University of Queensland outlined the research at the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists' annual conference on the Gold Coast.

He says 300 Australians under 25 committed suicide last year.

Professor Martin says the suicide toll has dropped by about 40 per cent in the past decade, but other issues, such as self harm, are emerging.

"Our best understanding is that perhaps five or 6 per cent of young people in schools may be doing this and it appears that they may be doing it to somehow cope with internal issues, such as issues of upset or stress or pain," he said.

Professor Martin says 15 per cent of Australians have had a major depressive episode by their 18th birthday, but the cadet project, like the MindMatters program in high schools, can develop resilience.

[So can better social skills, which matter more because they're general and not specific. In otherworlds why break it down?]

Martin: "If we have the right kinds of programs at the right times, say at year eight, we can actually develop optimism and connectives to the school and a number of other protective factors which in fact reduce the likelihood of depression occurring," he said.

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Sure Social Skills, in self-awareness, communication, conflict resolution, self worth and self esteem, and public speaking.....In general Life Skills that are just as important as academic skills. It should start when you're a baby.

Remember teachers aught not complain about the additional workload because the money saved from the victim industry, police, prisons, courts, hospitals, etc is put back into employing more teachers to teach the said skills.

What is wrong with kids having one hour of communication? One hour of conflict resolution? One hour of self-awareness? One hour of other skills necessary for their own survival? Alternatively or once a week? Then when they have kids they can teach them!

That will keep 5 percent of them out of prison the hospital and the morgue.