Nation on probation.

Matthew X profrv at nex.net.au
Wed May 12 22:58:30 PDT 1999


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.









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