The law is an ultradonkey...http://abc.net.au/news/justin/nat/newsnat-24aug2002-19.htm One out of every 32 adults in US either in jail, on parole One out of every 32 adults in the United States is either in jail, on parole or on probation, the US Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics says. The Justice Department says the total correctional population in the country in 2001 was approaching two million men and women, or 3.1 per cent of the nation's adult population. Those on parole have been released from prison before their sentences expired on condition of future correct behaviour and remain under supervision. Probation is the suspension of the sentence of a person convicted but not yet imprisoned for a crime on condition of good behaviour and regular reporting to a probation officer. Documents show Govt knew 'Pacific solution' costs disproportionate A $90 million package to house asylum seekers on the Pacific island of Nauru was drawn up by Australia less than two weeks after the controversial Tampa incident a year ago. Documents issued yesterday show the Nauru package, estimated to cost that amount for six months, acknowledges some costs for processing the Tampa asylum seekers would be two to four times higher than in Australian. A total of 434 Afghan asylum seekers and four Indonesian crew were rescued from their foundering boat by the Norwegian container ship Tampa near Christmas Island, in August last year. When Australia refused to allow them to land, New Zealand agreed to accept 150 people for processing, and Nauru offered to take the rest. This was the start of the 'Pacific solution', widely criticised by human rights advocates. Nauru President Rene Harris has since labelled the Australian Government's policy of turning away all boat people from the mainland a "Pacific nightmare". The Prime Minister has again been greeted by protesters outside a Liberal Party function in Adelaide. About 100 protesters waving placards and chanting slogans flanked the entrance to Adelaide's Festival Theatre, where Mr Howard was due to address a gathering of the party faithful. The protesters heckled guests as they arrived for the function, with mounted police on stand-by. Mr Howard was about to have a repeat of his arrival at Adelaide University, where he was pelted with rubbish, and was ushered in through a side door. A judge on an inspection visit to a Brazilian jail discovered a straw scarecrow dressed in police uniform on the watchtower "guarding" some 735 inmates, police said on Friday. The judge removed the scarecrow, which had apparently been staffing the watchtower for days and took it to the court as evidence. Police have opened an investigation. "It is considered a grave breach of security rules," a police spokesman said, adding that a prison guard or a police officer should have been on the tower at all times. The Taubate Provisional Detention Center for prisoners awaiting trial near Brazil's biggest city of Sao Paulo was opened at the end of last year and has already had one publicised escape via an underground tunnel. Brazil's prison system is plagued with breakouts and violent riots due to extreme overcrowding, lack of funds and poor pay for prison officers. Toto and the wizard of OZ escaped earlier this year.