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Australia: Jail Time

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Having never been to Prison, it’s hard to imagine what it would be like to be locked in a cell for most of the day. So we decided to experience a stint inside, at Fremantle Jail. Fremantle’s a forty minute drive down the coast, south of Perth. You can either use the highway or the coast road. As we were going to jail, I took what I thought was the scenic route along the coast road, just in case someone locked me in a cell and threw away the key. Turns out the coast road is still mainly inland!

Referred to as The Establishment, construction on Fremantle Prison was started in 1851 and completed  eight years later in 1859. The authorities used convicts as labourers, these being convicts transported from Britain. In 1886 the prison was  transferred to the colonial government and for the first time locally sentenced prisoners were incarcerated.

Treatment was harsh with the use of the cat-o-nine-tails for lashing convicts for trivial transgressions. Any escapees who were recaptured were locked in solitary with no amenities except a bucket and no light for up to three months at a time.

One audacious escapee made it to a local bar when who should walk in but one of the prison guards having just finished his shift. The escaped convict bought a beer for the guard, smiled and ran like hell before the bemused guard realised who he was.

With the harsh treatment meted out to convicts, discontent was growing. In 1988 a prison riot erupted with guards taken hostage and a fire caused almost two million dollars worth of damage. It was reported at the time that one of the hostages was traded for a packet of cigarettes. Eventually the prison closed in 1991.

The most haunting area was where the death sentences were carried out. I had never seen a noose let alone been in a room where so many had met their end. To visualise another human being’s death by hanging and wonder what their thoughts were before they were hanged was not something I would recommend.

In all an interesting experience and I was surprised to discover the prison is a World Heritage site. If I ever get tempted to break the law, I’ll remind myself what it’s like stood in a tiny cell just for a few minutes, let alone all day.

Tom Kane © 2018
 

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