According to two visitors to Sue Neill-Fraser in solitary today (Sept. 6, 2021) “she is okay,” and she accepts that she did the wrong thing sending an account for publication on this blog, ‘A Day in the Life …’
“Today Rosemary and I went to the prison and visited Sue,” writes Lynn Giddings of the Sue Neill-Fraser Support Group. “We were allowed in but had a pane of glass between us, maximum security conditions. Strangely, we heard better (both of us deaf) than in the minimum visiting room with other people talking and the noise of a refrigerator with cold drinks.”
“Importantly,” writes Lynn, “Sue is okay. She accepts she did the wrong thing in posting her article to Andrew Urban called, ‘A day in the Life…’. It is an offence to write anything for publication without approval.* Sue did not realise this, accepting responsibility for doing the wrong thing. She thought that if there were a problem, the censors would withhold posting it. But it got through to Andrew and he used it on his Wrongful Convictions blog. It is a good read; Sue writes well.”
- I had written to invite her to write about her life in prison, to provide readers with an insight, given her circumstances and the history of her case. In her letter to me, she begins by saying “Sadly, security regulations proscribe any revelations connected with the daily routine of activities … however, a brief overview might be useful.” That indicates she was not willingly breaking any rules.
As Lynn Giddings writes, “Sue comes out of isolation on Friday and is not allowed phone calls or personal visits for 21 days. The only thing that worries her is, will she remain a maximum prisoner for long, or will she be classified minimum soon so she can get on her exercise equipment for her legs. They tend to ache without the exercise.
“The prison staff were very gracious to us both and would have given us a little longer had a telephone call not come in for Sue. I’m not sure how that works or if it came from a lawyer and was permitted. Otherwise, I think Sue has to make the calls to people approved on a telephone list.
“Talk about resilient and stoic; Sue has it in spades. She said to say “Thank you” to all supporters. Over and over again, she underlines how much the Support Group keeps her going and gives her hope. May she return to minimum security level very quickly.”
We are still concerned that notwithstanding her accepting responsibility for ‘doing the wrong thing’, the punishment (5 days in solitary prior to a move to maximum security and loss of privileges including phone calls for 21 days) seems disproportionate to the offence.
Those who have been empowered in Tasmania to deliver up “Justice”, have all the character traits of a rabid Tasmanian Devil.
These power mad inhumane barbaric scum are rotten to the core and have given just cause to cite Tasmania as being “The ROTTEN APPLE ISLE”.
I had a letter from Elise Archer today, in response to one I wrote to her seeking an explanation for the real reasons Sue has been placed in solitary. Her letter, abrogating her responsibilities as both Minister for Justice AND Corrections, was what I call a Herod response. But this paragraph might interest everyone.
‘The Tasmanian Prison Service, ( TPS ) makes use of various different sanctions to deal with a prisoner’s inappropriate or unlawful behaviour in prison. Sanctions might include loss of privileges such as personal phone calls or visits. The TPS does not make use of “solitary confinement.”
Oh, right! I understood the story was re publication, not her behaviour in prison, ie writing the letter. We just have to face facts. We’ll never understand the logic !
Minister Archer’s letter also said she couldn’t interfere. I wrote back and asked her if she is Justice and Corrections Minister, but can’t right any of these wrongs being brought to her attention, what exactly is her job? I’ll probably need a Royal Pass to get back into Tasmania!
Robin, at least you received 1) a reply, and 2) prompt. Count yourself honoured 😂
Yet of course you would; Attorney-General Archer can’t have a renowned and highly published former Tasmanian, and now crime writer including in your next? book 📕 content about the deadly pre-historic Tasmanian justice system of 2021. Nor, that the Attorney-General failed to answer your reasonable questions about the currently outmoded prison system. I look forward to reading about your continuing correspondence with the Minister for Justice.
Stay tuned for media reporting on Attorney-General Archer’s appearance at budget estimates committee this am. Apparently, Kristie Johnson, Independent, asked unwelcome questions … How dare she!
Isn’t the purpose of these hearings for elected representatives to ask for transparency and accountability in areas that are being swept under that ever-bulging executive rug?
Andrew 25,000 people put their name to their belief of Sues innocence..25,000 people enjoyed Sues writings!.. 25,000 plus people think who so ever set punishment for no good reason on Sue who wrote of “a day in “the life ” is extreme and pathetic! Which brings me to think what pettiness still follows Sue and whom is the ugly that signed off on Sues punishment for just being Sue! Seems to me she seems a nice person! – Especially acting in kindness to her fellow Prisoners..What petit .world do we live in? Is there a rule highlighted and written that we may see how a written day of Sues life is laid out as Bad Sue you will be punished..Regulations and rules devil in the detail! Let us be made aware of its attack on the ratification of ‘rule what ever’ not for publication!
Beyond words for this poor person.
Police Commissioner Darren Hine says SNF murdered Bob Chappell – ‘those are the facts.’
‘DPP Daryl Coates SC, from whom the soured milk of human unkindness oozed like puss, was relentless in exploiting the vulnerability of Meaghan Vass and her distressing emotional unraveling to achieve his objective: damage or destroy the credibility of her testimony in the appeal court.’ Which he did – knowingly.
Previous DPP Tim Ellis not only speculated without evidence against SNF, he was sacked for being responsible for causing the death of a young girl in a car accident.
Elise Archer – well there is another one who has the power but not the will, to help SNF. She needs to be replaced. She is an Attorney General’s bottom.
Don’t cross the law in Tasmania – you will be treated like those who came as convicts with no rights to a fair trial and will face incarceration for a crime you didn’t commit.
To Sue and your family – we imagine and hope that one day this will be over but it will never be forgotten.
I have been following your case for years – sadly.
It should never have been ‘a case’
A storm in a tea cup.
Surely just a reminder of prison rules and an admonishment not to do it again would have been much more appropriate than this draconian response.
I agree the punishment did not fit the crime.
Solitary confinement and then placed in maximum security for a misdemeanour?
I have always thought that maximum security would be for dangerous prisoners who may hurt staff or themselves.
The Justice system in Tasmania seems to be broken.
….and I imagine the stratified, institutionalised culture of hopefully covering ones exposed arse, through the use of the debased “Nuremberg Defense”, will be the next step taken by those seemingly more than just comfortable with the disgraced status quo.
Yeah folks, I hope I have enlightened to the system.
I am freaking, this is a reality nightmare.
I do not know whether to put contracts out to professionals or back my self.
This in reality is a democratic nightmare since the Bay of Pigs In Reverse.
This is Totalitarianism in the Extreme.
Isn’t it a bit of a macabre joke (although I am in no way laughing) that Sue’s eloquent letter shows the prison in a rather good light? What a pathetic response to punish the person who has already suffered so many wrongs… those in power in Tasmania have sunk to a new low. The problem as I see it is the very “selective” reporting and what amounts to nothing more than censorship in the Apple Isle of this tragic case. Isn’t that how oppressive penal colonies were run? I had hoped things may have moved along in the last 200 odd years…..
My thoughts, too, about her letter’s positive reflection on the prison – and the absence of whinge…
Andrew the responsibility lies with the censors at the prison who failed to do their job and as a result Sue is the one punished. Not only is she punished, but such draconian measures taken against her appear to be way outside what is reasonable. We all understand that the censors go through all correspondence to and from Sue. They are the ones who made the mistake not Sue. As for saying this was a security breach, I would hate to think what happens if someone tries to escape.
There are many other ways they could ensure punishment if that is what they wanted to do. Given Sue’s age, not only is this a barbaric measure to take, it also verges on Elder Abuse. There has never been shown any compassion to this innocent woman behind bars. Stay strong Sue.
Isn’t the offence here that it was published, not that Sue wrote it? It would seem the fault is with the blog, not Sue, unless she explicitly gave permission for it to be published?
The offence of writing about certain details was against prison rules.