Done By Law

Rachel Herzing at the Imprisoned People and Social Justice Forum

Two weeks ago, the Imprisoned People and Social Justice Forum was held at the Koori Heritage Trust down on King Street.

The forum was organised by the Decarceration Working Group, with support and collaboration from Flat Out, Sisters Inside, the Centre for the Human Rights of Imprisoned People and the Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention Legal Service.

The day aimed to facilitate discussions on systemic issues in imprisonment, strategies for decarceration and social justice for imprisoned men and women in Victoria, with input from national and international speakers including formerly imprisoned people.

Rachel Herzing, an activist from the US with almost 20 years of organising experience, came to the forum and gave a talk about the work and politics of two US prison abolitionist organisations: Critical Resistance and Creative Interventions.

DBL: Lex Wotton & Deaths in Custody 11 November 2008

News in Brief: US electoral system, anti-gay proposition 8 in California, and Victorian bar ‘lockout’.

On 7 November 2008, Palm Island Aboriginal man Lex Wotton was sentenced to six years’ jail for “riot with destruction”— just four days after 22 police officers received bravery awards for their role in the 2004 Palm Island protests. Wotton, a 40-year-old plumber and community leader was convicted last month of rioting with destruction for his role in riots on Palm Island a week after Mulrunji Doomadgee died in 2004. Doomadgee died in police custody. A coronial inquest found that Doomadgee was killed as a result of punches by a police officer, Sergeant Hurley. After a nationwide public campaign in which the Queensland Director of Public Prosecutions initially refused to lay charges, Hurley was eventually brought to trial over Mulrunji’s death. Hurley was acquitted of manslaughter in three hours by an all white Townsville jury.

Joining us tonight on Done By Law is Kim Bullimore to discuss some of the many issues and injustices raised by Lex Wotton’s case. Kim Bullimore has been a political activist for more than 10 years.  She is a Murri woman from North Queensland and is a long time Indigneous rights and anti-racism activist.  Kim is active in Free Lex Wotton campaign, as well as cross-border Indigenous solidarity campaigning.