It's Christmas day and many of us are enjoying family
celebrations, a break from work and a chance to eat a lot of food
and have a few drinks. But for those in custody, 25 December is
quite a different experience.
There are currently 34,000 people in custody across Australia,
11,000 of whom are in NSW prisons. Needless to say, they will not
be spending the festive season at home with their loved ones.
Many inmates will not even have been convicted of any offence,
but will be waiting for their day in court after being refused bail
under strict new laws – sometimes for more than two
years.
Contact with friends and family
Christmas is just another day inside many prisons – and
often even more lonely, since prison visits in NSW are not allowed
on Christmas day. Friends and family may instead visit their loved
ones the days before or after.
