#24 Ending human rights abuses in Victoria's prisons - with Sarah, Jenny & Monique

<p>In August 2021 the Cultural Review of the Adult Custodial Corrections System commenced. It looked at the culture, experiences, systems and processes within Victoria&rsquo;s prisons and correctional centres. It looked at how these processes do or don&rsquo;t serve people in custody, and corrections officers working in these settings. It is due to report in the middle of this year.</p> <p>What disappointed me during the announcement was that on the Expert Panel, which I would add has great expertise and importantly representation from Jill Gallagher who is a prominent and eminently qualified First Nations leader and advocate, is that there was not a person who has lived experience of corrections. There was representation of people who work in the criminal justice system. That imbalance does a disservice to the process, and to people currently or formerly in the system. It should have been remedied.</p> <p>People with lived experience have been consulted in this process, but as you will hear from Sarah and Jenny, people with lived experience have ample capacity to critically evaluate evidence. By failing to have someone with lived experience on the panel, it reinforces the othering, and tells the community that they shouldn&rsquo;t be heard as experts.</p> <p>I want to thank Natasha Dewhirst from Flat Out for supporting this process by connecting me to Jenny and Sarah (pseudonyms I should add), who were both paid for their time and expertise on this podcast. I also want to thank Monique Hurley from the Human Rights Law Centre, who is interviewed and made it happen. Most of all I want to thank Jenny and Sarah, who&rsquo;s words still ring in my head.</p> <p>I won&rsquo;t reflect on the themes of this conversation, I&rsquo;ll just say listen and act on what these three human rights advocates have to say. &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Shownotes:</strong></p> <p><u>Flat Out </u></p> <p>Learn more about Flat Out: <a href="http://www.flatout.org.au/">http://www.flatout.org.au/</a></p> <p>Sign on to the