ISSUE NO. 17
December 2025
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Letters

‘Protection’ at the Cost of Human Rights

By
Timmy

Timmy writes from a prison in NSW.

Willy Pleasance

To About Time,

I have done a number of laggings since 2005, and now find myself at the MRRC again, awaiting trial.

In New South Wales, there were previously three levels of protective custody for vulnerable inmates, such as myself, who have autism spectrum disorder and other mental health issues. As of 2020, Corrective Services New South Wales (CSNSW) removed Protection Limited Association Area (PRLA) protection and forced all inmates on this protection onto Special Management Area Placement (SMAP), which is known by inmates as “the white man’s mainstream population”, causing a sharp increase in inmate violence.

Now SMAP is no longer considered protective custody, and the only protection for inmates like me is Protection Non Association Area (PRNA) – complete and utter segregation.

Locked in our cells 24 hours a day, up to 7 days a week, with no access to library, chapel or education and with our mental health declining every day. And there are wings full of such inmates, about 40 each wing, making it impossible for us to get the required 1 hour outside our cell every day.

Surely this is a breach of human rights, and there must be a better solution than complete segregation? Why were other levels of protection removed completely? I don’t even understand and think this should be properly explained.

Also, on Dan Nathan’s article re 90s Japanese sedans that ripped, surely you would go the next generation up, post-1995 – to the VG Magna / Camry / Maximia, even the H6 Liberty – for even more power, without much more weight.

Thanks.

Yours sincerely,

Timmy.

To About Time,

I have done a number of laggings since 2005, and now find myself at the MRRC again, awaiting trial.

In New South Wales, there were previously three levels of protective custody for vulnerable inmates, such as myself, who have autism spectrum disorder and other mental health issues. As of 2020, Corrective Services New South Wales (CSNSW) removed Protection Limited Association Area (PRLA) protection and forced all inmates on this protection onto Special Management Area Placement (SMAP), which is known by inmates as “the white man’s mainstream population”, causing a sharp increase in inmate violence.

Now SMAP is no longer considered protective custody, and the only protection for inmates like me is Protection Non Association Area (PRNA) – complete and utter segregation.

Locked in our cells 24 hours a day, up to 7 days a week, with no access to library, chapel or education and with our mental health declining every day. And there are wings full of such inmates, about 40 each wing, making it impossible for us to get the required 1 hour outside our cell every day.

Surely this is a breach of human rights, and there must be a better solution than complete segregation? Why were other levels of protection removed completely? I don’t even understand and think this should be properly explained.

Also, on Dan Nathan’s article re 90s Japanese sedans that ripped, surely you would go the next generation up, post-1995 – to the VG Magna / Camry / Maximia, even the H6 Liberty – for even more power, without much more weight.

Thanks.

Yours sincerely,

Timmy.

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Welcome to About Time

About Time is the national newspaper for Australian prisons and detention facilities

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