SPCS

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY STANDARDS INC.

Truth Weekender – “objectionable” content – tabloid banned from Auckland Prison

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”The publication [Truth Weekender] is seen…as objectionable and detrimental to rehabilitation [of prisoners] and reducing reoffending. It does not encourage sentence compliance and normalises and supports criminal beliefs and attitudes, … 

The ban ”is due to the negative effect that the sensationalised, and often inaccurate, reporting has on the good order of the prison.”     Corrections Department media advisor  (c.f. ref. 1)

The country’s most dangerous prisoners have been told they are no longer entitled to read New Zealand’s oldest weekly newspaper – a decision which will now go to the high court.

The Department of Corrections’ ruling was last night called ”extraordinary” by a top media law academic and is to become subject of a costly taxpayer-funded judicial review as one of New Zealand’s most prominent and litigious inmates prepares to challenge the decision.

On Monday Corrections bosses notified the Auckland-based publishers of Truth Weekender that their tabloid paper was banned from the maximum security Auckland Prison east division.

The paper has an extensive advertising section for prostitutes with photographs of near-naked females, but this was not what sparked the decision, rather the paper’s journalism was what upset authorities.

Source: Truth Banned From Auckland Prison – Fairfax Media

Story by Jonathan Marshall. 29 June, 2011

http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/5203396/Truth-banned-from-Auckland-Prison [Read more…]

‘Sick puppy’ saw porn in prison before murder

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It was an ”indictment” on the system [Dept of Corrections] that someone like [Malcolm] Chaston [now a convicted murder] could source objectionable material [pornograhy] while behind bars. ”It is hugely irresponsible and a disgrace,” he [Garth McVicar – Sensible Sentencing Trust Founder] said.

WHITE SUPREMACIST Malcolm Chaston was allegedly able to watch soft-porn movies before being released from prison and murdering young mother Vanessa Pickering.

Chaston will be sentenced on Monday on the murder charge and also of the sexual assault of another female.

Sensible Sentencing Trust founder Garth McVicar has released an email sent to him from a prison guard in the months leading up to Chaston’s prior release from jail in mid-2008.

The unnamed guard wrote of Chaston: ”He is a very sick puppy and these sex movies just feed his sickness.

”He watches these movies and skites about things he is going to do when he gets out.

”This is a very sick place, can you imagine why they would let sex offenders watch sex videos. God help us and the poor woman these mongrels come across when they get out.”

The email stated: ”I wonder if you are aware that the Dept of Corrections has recently decided that R16 videos and DVDs are OK to be shown in prisons.

”There is no distinction as to what type of R16 is shown to what type of prisoner _ i.e. a soft porn R16 can be shown in a sex offenders unit, and R16 with violence can be shown to violent prisoners.

”Can you imagine what these videos do to mongrels like Malcom [sic] Chaston …”

Source: Sex Movies before murder. By Neil Reid 15 April 2011 (Fairfax Media)

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/4893344/Sex-movies-before-murder [Read more…]

Faith-Based Healing in NZ Prison for Inmates

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[John Bunyan wrote his great classic The Pilgrim’s Progress while he was in prison. It is an allegory of the Christian life that is inspiring many today in New Zealand prisons to seek after God through prayer and reading the Bible. Many are discovering how faith in Jesus Christ – His life, death and Resurrection – can bring them new spiritual life, peace, forgiveness from sin and eternal life].

Rimutaka Prison houses the only faith-based prison unit in the country. It opened in 2003 and is run by Prison Fellowship (PFNZ) an international Christian organisation that provides prison activities, restorative justice courses and post-release support. [Copies of Pilgrim’s Progress have been made available to many prisoners funded by the Society and its supporters].

The Dominion Post reports “The inmates are a motley crew of rapists, murderers, paedophiles and drug dealers; lifers and short-termers; Mobsters and Black Power.”

For more see: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/4341311/Inside-Rimutakas-faith-based-unit [Read more…]