<nettime> Caron Eliot: a visit to the Adelaide Watchhouse

["geert lovink" <geert@xs4all.nl>]

from: Caron Eliot <caron_eliot@yahoo.com.au>

At 10.40am on Thursday 6 June 2002 Caron Eliot arrived at the door of the
Adelaide Watchhouse with the intent of finding out what the procedure was
to make a visit to the refugees from Woomera who would be arriving there
later in the day. She had the names and the identification numbers of the
people she wished to meet with her, and wanted to know practical things
such as whether she could bring the men chocolates to eat, as she was
aware that the group processed in the previous week were denied tea,
coffee and cigarettes.  She conducted her enquiries via the speaker system
on the door, aware of the surveillance camera above recording her. She did
not know to whom she was talking. 

Caron Eliot was informed firstly that there were not the facilities at the
Adelaide Watchhouse to deal with visitors and therefore no visits were
allowed. Caron responded that the Catholic Church had encouraged people to
make every effort to visit the refugees. The anonymous voice answered that
the Adelaide Watchhouse overrode the Catholic Church. Caron asked for
clarification as to whether or not the refugees could receive any visitors
and was told that there were interview rooms in which the refugees could
meet with their solicitors. She asked whether the "no visitor" rule was a
policy of ACM (Australian Correctional Management, the private company
which currently has the contract to run all of Australia's Detention
Centres) or of the Adelaide Watchhouse. The voice echoed out that there
was no discrimination and that this was a policy of the Adelaide
Watchhouse. 

Caron would appreciate a legal opinion on this matter as if there is a
chance she will try to visit again later today, so if there are any
lawyers out there who know whether the information she received was
correct or not please contact her at caron_eliot@yahoo.com.au

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