JAILBREAK

I have finished ”, Australia’s Most Unforgettable Prison Escapes.   There are some sensational stories of prison escapes within this book from all over Australia.

Having been a Prison Officer in New South Wales, led me to read the stories from that state first, before venturing on to the others.  I was fascinated by every story in the book.  

I was particularly taken by the story titled “WA’s Favourite Bushranger” – Moondyne Joe.   Although he probably was not a bushranger in the strict sense of the word, he was definitely a rogue, an outlaw and an escapologist.

His story led me to learn the poem “The ballad of Moondyne Joe”.   It is great fun to sit around with family, especially your children and grandchildren, and recite a poem from memory.   For your enjoyment I have included the poem.

The Ballad of Moondyne Joe

In the Darling Ranges, many years ago,
There lived a daring outlaw, by the name of ‘Moondyne Joe’
He stole the squatter’s horses, and a sheep or two or three,
The troopers said we’ll catch him, but we know it’s all in vain,
Every time we lock him up he breaks right out again.
‘Cause in he goes, and out he goes, and off again he’ll go,
There’s not a gaol in WA can keep in ‘Moondyne Joe’.

I highly recommend the book “Jailbreak” by Wendy Lewis. It is an interesting, well written and thoroughly researched book, and I give it 4 ¾ stars out of 5.

You can find more details on www.echopbulishing.com.au

Peter T Egge

SEVERIN MUST GO!!

Last week I received a copy of a letter from a good friend and a Prison Officer from yesteryear regarding Lauren Oliver, the Director of Training at Brushfarm Prison Officer Training Academy.

I have written a number of blogs regarding Ms Oliver and her outrageous statements recently concerning the “fat old white guys” as she labeled the Prison Officers from my era.

What Mr. Severin and Ms Oliver have done is underestimated the tenacity and willpower to see issues through to the end as we are never going to give up on these two over paid Public Servants.

I recently received my copy of The Red Tape, dated December 2016 to January 2017.    The Red Tape is the official tabloid for the Public Service Association and although I have not worked inside a Gaol since the late 1980’s, I am still a retired member of the PSA.

I read with interest under Mr. Severin’s watch, and he IS responsible for what occurs within his Department, a Prison Officer at Cessnock Corrective Centre who was suffering from a long term illness, took sick leave.   His position within the Department was an Overseer.   The Officer met all of the criteria under the Department’s sick leave policy.   The article does not indicate what the Officer’s condition was, however I somehow suspect that it may have been stress related.   The Officer, during his leave, completed a marathon event which as I understand it, physical exercise was recommended by his medical practitioner.  

A Line Manager at Cessnock Corrective Centre, and I am not quite sure of the level this person held, rejected and recorded his absence as “not acceptable”.

The PSA contacted the Director of Corrective Services Industries who refused to reverse the Line Manager’s decision.  A dispute was lodged with the Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales.   There the Commissioner Newall issued a recommendation stating, “It seems inescapable that whatever view one takes of the reasons underpinning this absence, if a Registered Medical Practitioner tells the Agency with full knowledge of what he is writing, that a man was unfit for work…..”    Mr. Newall went on to say that the employee should be paid the time he spent away from work.

Of course under Mr. Severin’s leadership, the Department declined to accept Mr. Newall’s recommendation and sought to have the matter arbitrated.

The matter was heard before Commissioner Murphy and the PSA argued the employee had run the marathon on a rostered day off and had been advised that exercise would actually assist him in his condition.  Commissioner Murphy ruled in favour of the employee, ordering the Corrective Services to pay the outstanding leave.

This is where Mr. Severin fails in his duties as Commissioner of Department of Corrective Services.   He has allowed his underlings within the Department to fight a sick leave entitlement, of less than $2,000, that the decision was always going to be in favour of the employee and costing the Department around $20,000 to reach this failed ruling, is simply outrageous, has no economic sense at all and can only be described as a waste of good tax payer’s money.

Mr. Severin is a disgrace.   He is a do-gooder, he has ruined the reputations of those gallant Prison Officers of yesteryear, he does not run his Department using economical common sense and I suspect he plays the “Yes Minister” game to his own advantage.

He should resign under his own volition or alternatively the Minister must sack this man before he causes any further damage to the Department with which he is solely responsible.


This I believe
Peter T Egge

Rumour Has It!

I have heard from a number of sources that Peter, (the prisoner’s friend) Severins, Commissioner of NSW Corrective Services, is skating on thin ice.   It is most unlikely that his contract will be renewed if not terminated in the mean time.

It has become more increasingly obvious that his advice continues to embarrass the Minister for Corrective Services.   The nonsense that comes from within the Department to the Minister, and subsequently the Premier, is beyond comprehension and without any real substance or purpose.

Mr. Severins must believe that the “old school” Prison Officers of yesteryear, are prepared to sit back and allow that disgraceful episode from Ms. Lauren Oliver to pass us by.

Let me assure Mr. Severins and the Minister, that this is not the case.   They can both look forward to this continuing until a satisfactory result occurs in fact I can guarantee that shortly, there will be a concerted effort to obtain a satisfactory result in relation to Ms. Oliver and Mr. Severins.

This morning on Chanel 7, there was an article from a young Prison Officer desperately trying to obtain recognition from those very brave Prison Officers who, at the risk of their own peril, rescued some Prison Officers locked in a cell within 13 Wing in the Metropolitan Remand Centre at the Long Bay Prison Complex in 1986.   It was a highly volatile and dangerous riot situation that the rescuing officers confronted.

I am reliably informed that Mr. Severins shook his head and said, “That was in the past so we’re not interested in it now” (paraphrasing).

If it were a prisoner that had carried out these outstanding brave acts, there is no doubt in my mind that Mr. Severins would have rushed to ensure the prisoner was recognised for his bravery.

Mr. Severins is a disgrace and embarrassment to the Prison industry.   He does not have an original thought in his head.    All of the programs he has put into place were tried in the 1970s and 1980s, many of which were a failure during that period.

If Mr. Severins and the New South Wales Government listened to the people whom they represent and who pay their wages, they would find the people no longer want their prisoners mollycoddled and millions of dollars squandered on useless and unsuccessful programs that have little or no value.    What the people want now is for their prisoners to be treated humanely but not living in luxury, especially when many of their citizens who we often find have fought for this country, are homeless, struggling to survive.

This I believe

Peter T Egge

Jailbreak

​I received a short email from Wendy Lewis who tells me that her new book, "Jailbreak" has now  been released for sale.

I am most excited about the release of this book and very much looking forward to getting my hands on it and once I do, I will give you all a book review.

Peter Egge

Significant lapse in security

In the Sunday Telegraph, dated 4th September 2016, I am reliably informed that there was an article concerning the most significant lapse in security I have heard not involving a murder or an escape.


The article alleges that and Overseer took a convicted prisoner into the Central Industrial Prison's Armoury for the purposes of painting the Armoury.


The Central Industrial Prison was built between 1901 and 1909,   Since its completion there has never been a prisoner allowed to go anywhere near the armoury for sound, security reasons.


The prisoners now have first hand knowledge of the layout of the Armoury, where it is situated, and what it contains.


I am also led to believe that a Senior Assistant Superintendent has resigned over this incident.


In my day, it was the Superintendent who was responsible for what occurred in his Gaol, not a Senior Assistant Superintendent.


This incident has caused me major concerns over the recruitment and training of Prison Officers in recent years.   It is now time for another Royal Commission into the Department of Corrective Services.   It is currently failing the public.


My father-n-law, Colin McCarthy, had a very relevant saying, “Common sense is the yardstick by which I measure everything”.   It appears common sense has long been lacking in the New South Wales Department of Corrective Services.


This I believe.


Peter T. Egge

LIES BEGET LIES

When I was five years old, my father instilled in me the importance of always being truthful, and would use the following example as a means of illustrating his point. “If you tell one lie, you have to tell ten more to cover the first”.


What has happened within the Department of Corrective Services is actually the proof of my father's theory.   Director of Brush Farm Training Acadamy Lauren Oliver, the Director of Media & Communications Mr. Michael Duffy, and the Commission of Corrective Services Mr. Peter Severin have been telling one lie after another in an effort to cover up the calculated indiscretion and the disgraceful conduct on Ms. Oliver's part, when she quoted in the Sunday Telegraph dated 26th June 2016, “Those old fat white guys wouldn't last very long these days”.   She further stated, “That's the old culture, our staff is fighting so hard against that”.   And worst still she inferred that we, (the old Prison Officers), could not deescalate a situation and went on to state that modern guards have to be good communicators and be fit enough to respond to an emergency, inferring that we were not.


As you may already know, following these outrageous statements against those very honorable Prison Officers of yesteryear, the Department issued a communication blaming the reporter Jordan Baker, and denied that Ms. Oliver had used those terms.   They also indicated that Ms. Oliver was not put forward as a representative of the Department.


I have been informed recently that an ex Prison Officer made direct contact with the reporter, Jordan Baker, in regard to his reporting of this claim.  Jordan Baker categorically stated that the entire story had been authorised by Mr. Severin, the Commissioner of Corrective Services and the words quoted directly from Ms. Oliver were actually stated to Jordan no less than six or seven times.    In addition Ms. Oliver was put up to the reporter as being the representative of the Department.


I am also aware that an ex Officer has directly complained to the Minister's Office.   It seems that these famous three, Mr. Severin, Mr. Duffy and Ms. Oliver, have turned this situation into a “YES MINISTER”, liking it to the television series, either deliberately or negligently, misleading or lying to the Minister of Corrective Services, a Member of Parliament.  If deliberately, or misleading a Minister of the Crown is not an offense, it most certainly should be.


This whole matter could have been sorted out very simply and amicably  had Ms. Oliver given a simple statement, apologising for her in-discretion, and accepting full responsibility for her wrongful remarks.


These three high ranking officials, Mr. Severin, Mr. Duffy and Ms. Oliver, are blatant lairs.   They expect from their subordinate staff the highest of integrity, yet they are unable to reach credible standards themselves.


I call on the Minister of Corrective Services to dismiss these three, as their integrity is of a standard that he, the Minister, could have no faith or confidence in their ability to communicate truthfully with him when such an occasion arises.


This matter will not go away.  

This I believe

Peter T. Egge


I most cordially invite, Mr. Severin, Mr. Duffy and Ms. Oliver the right of reply, or indeed to offer their apology to those like me who were so hurt by the stinging, flippant, uneducated remarks and the lies that have followed.

Ken Horton RIP

I was saddened to hear of the loss of Ken Horton recently.


Ken started duties with the Department of Corrective Services shortly after I commenced, however he was about ten years older than me.   We had many conversations together, both involving our employment as well as our personal lives.   He was a great Prison Officer and was very well respected.    I have never heard a bad word spoken about Ken, most probably because he was an exceptionally nice man and a diligent officer.   I enjoyed his company and the time I spent working with him.  


He will be sadly missed by all those who knew him and I am sorry that I had not been in contact with him for many years.


Peter T. Egge