40 days down, 51 to go

Note: NAPNT members are concerned for Stuart's welfare, please ring the Darwin Correctional Centre on (08) 8922 0111 (+61 8 8922 0111 from outside Australia`) to ensure that Stuart’s human rights are being respected. Please write to Stuart and let him know that he (and the other prisoners) is supported on the outside.

For more information about Stuart’s case and what you can do to help Free Stuart Highway click here.


Letter from Stuart Highway to Gary Meyerhoff (received today)


Written on Sunday 27th November 2005 at Darwin Prison

Stuart Highway
Darwin Correctional Centre
PO Box 1407
Darwin 0801

40 days down, 51 to go

Dear Gaz,

Got your letter of 24th Nov. this arvo, at muster just before 3pm lock-up. Thanks. I was surprised to hear you were walking around in Adelaide with Fi and Wendy when I rang earlier today. I’d forgotten about that AIVL meet (AGM, isn’t it?)

Jesus, what a nightmare of a time I’ve had these last couple of days. It’s a relief to be back in my own cell, the usual one. What’s so hyper-stressful about prison life is that arrangements can be changed around on you at a moment’s notice. Just when you get settled and start to feel a bit comfortable, for example, I’ve got my own cell now, I’ve been here a couple of weeks now. I’ve got accustomed to the routine. I’ve a pretty good idea of how things work around here (although there’s a lot more to learn) and I’m getting to know most of the people, both prisoners and prison officers. Then: you’re painting your cell tomorrow! – Oh no, how am I going to go with that? I’ve never done it before. You’re sleeping in the dorm tonight, just for 1 night, while the paint dries. Later: no, you’re not going in the dorm tonight, you’ll be in one of those cells ‘down the back’ instead, but only for one night. – Oh, ok. Next morning I’m expecting to go back to my usual cell. But no! You have to stay in the punishment block. Only one more night, though, instead of 2 more. What !? I wasn’t even supposed to be put in the punishment block at all! Now I’m supposed to be grateful that I’m only going to be there 2 nights instead of 3? – ok, ok, so I have to go back in that cell for another night. Right, it’s reasonably clean, I know what to expect, having spent last night in there.

But no, you’re going in a different punishment cell tonight. Christ!!! What the hell’s going on??? This one’s not quite as clean…

And once I’m locked in there, there’s another problem… I won’t go into details…FUCK! I feel like I’m really going to lose it now. Especially when the penny drops. The REAL reason for all this performance sinks into my mind. Stress overload…

What can I do about it though, really? Stuck here by myself in this stinking hot cell where there’s hardly any ventilation. It looks like it hasn’t been cleaned properly since the last person was in here… It’s a real PHYSICAL EFFORT to get water out of the ‘tap’ (read: metal hole on the wall) above the washbasin.

And that stainless steel toilet bowl, a metre from where I’m sitting on the end of the bed. It’s ENCASED in solid concrete block. (There’s no toilet seat or lid.) That toilet bowl has a pretty big dent in the front of the rim, it’s bent out of shape there. Now that would have taken some doing. The bloke that did that must’ve been pretty damn ANGRY. And what did he use? What tool? There’s nothing here but thick, solid concrete and metal. Nothing breakable, nothing that could’ve been broken off. Did he use his foot, or fist,… or what?

Somehow I get through this. Fall asleep early, then wake up and can’t get back to sleep. It’s hot and uncomfortable. Insomnia. I take off the King Gee work shorts and t-shirt, soak them in the washbasin. Put them back on dripping wet. That feels better. Keeps my body temperature down. They drip and dry off gradually as I pace the cell diagonally for a couple of hours to use up energy. I hear a bird outside somewhere. That must mean it’s close to daybreak.

But when I ask the officer, who comes to check on me on his rounds, the time, he says it’s only just gone 3. The shorts aren’t as wet anymore, the t-shirts only damp. Even the small window in the middle of the metal cell door has thick metal bars inside and outside. The officer on his rounds peers through it and shines his torch on me to make sure I am still alive.

I feel tired enough to grab a few more hours of fitful interrupted sleep. It gets light and the 7am. Wake-up siren sounds.

I ask the prison officer on his rounds the time. His answer: “Time to buy a watch!” Ha ha. Funny man. I’m not in the mood for a laugh at the moment, given the circumstances. (He does tell me the time after that though.)

I’ve got a watch but I’m not allowed to have it. They strip us of everything in here. It’s like being back at school, only worse. What do they achieve by putting people in these punishment cells, with the appalling conditions? Obedience? Yes, for a while. Respect for authority? No. It only makes people disrespect and hate it even more. Authority that goes to such lengths to enforce respect is not worth respect. It’s worthy only of contempt and ridicule. There are 6 of those punishment cells, 2 with observation cameras in them.

A new branch of NAP has sprouted here in the bowels of the devil. Its name is Network Against Prisons.

The loss of control I’ve experienced in my life has been parallelled by loss of control experienced by working class people on the outside. It’s no picnic out there either. John Howard and his crew have got people insecure and fearful. Afraid of terrorist attacks and bird flu. They don’t know whether they’ll have a job next year. A lot of people don’t even know where their next meal’s coming from. It’s all pretty stressful. The stress comes from the lack of control over our own lives. We’re in the process of fixing this by getting organised.

Well done on the Van case. I’ve been telling people in here, while he’s alive there’s still hope to save him, still a chance.

I got a bunch of letters today, one from Jodie Wilson in Parap (remember her?), others from Pete ABC, Ruth (QLD), Peter McGregor (NSW), Thomas Meyer-Falk (Germany) and a beautiful card with 2 tigers on it from a Lionel Williams (no return address) as well as yours. 7 in all.

Solidarity


Stuart

N.B. Any or all of this is bloggable, netable, Gaz.