Skip to content or view mobile version

Home | Mobile | Editorial | Mission | Privacy | About | Contact | Help | Security | Support

A network of individuals, independent and alternative media activists and organisations, offering grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues.

Inquest into the death in custody of Scott Simpson

Justice Action | 28.11.2005 16:07 | Analysis | Culture | Health | World

Tracey Simpson Scott's sister said, "Why did they put him in segregation for 26 months, locked down for 23 hours a day and no contact with human people?

No contact with human people?
No contact with human people?


AUSTRALIA: NSW: On the first day of the inquest into the death of a prisoner Scott Simpson, then 34, who was found hanging in his segregation cell at Long Bay jail in 12-wing area 2, at approximately 8.45 am on 7 June 2004, the court heard evidence that there was a bureaucratic problem that may have led to his death.

But his family has said that he didn't deserve to die behind bars.

Penrith police had originally charged Scott Simpson with malicious damage after striking a car windscreen with a baseball bat during a domestic dispute in March 2002, which landed him in custody.

He was sent to the Silverwater Remand Centre to await trial on the malicious damage charge.

On the first day that Scott arrived at Silverwater Remand Centre he was supposed to be assessed in relation to his medical condition. He was subsequently placed in a cell on his own, in the main prison.

But about an hour later a child sex offender X, who was on protection from the main prisoners who was brought up from Junee prison, was placed in the same cell with Scott.

In the morning the prisoner on protection was found dead in the cell.

Scott was subsequently charged with murder of X and sent to the High Risk Management Unit (HRMU) at Goulburn Correctional Centre.

The HRMU is a box within a box with no fresh air or sunlight used for the treatment of the worst of the worst offenders in the prisoners system, including some prison scapegoats alleged to be gang members and those that buck the system. The HRMU is also now used for suspected terrorist scapegoats dragged off the street by ASIO.

Shortly after Scott was sent to the HRMU the brother of the alleged sex offender, that Scott Simpson killed Mr Y, who was also in prison at Junee jail and also a sex offender, contacted Justice action with grave fears that, "he thought he was going to be next."

"My brother was sent to his death and placed into the main," he said.

"Am I going to be next? Will they do that to me?"

He was quite fearful that his brother might have been set up by the authorities and sent to his death.

He asked Justice Action how he could avoid this danger? Justice Action reminded him that reporting it was the first step and that we would make some enquiries, which we did. But as usual when making enquires with the Department of Corrective Services we didn't get very far. But at least we could keep an eye on his case if there were any more problems.

Shinning a light by asking questions can prevent some abuse by authorities.

Justice Action also received numerous letters during that time from Scott during his 26-month lockdown.

"Mum, I'm freezing and starving," he said.

He told JA that he was being hit with microwaves and that ASIO was behind it.

He sounded acutely paranoid about his situation and it appeared that he was not getting any help. It also appeared that his psychiatric illness was being exacerbated by his segregation and it is our understanding that segregation causes mental illness.

JA followed his case and found the psychiatric report that was also available to the Department of Corrective Services, suggesting that they were well aware of his mental condition as a psychiatric report was obtained by the Serious Offenders Review Council for assessment.

The psychiatric report dated 7 January 2003, claimed that, " For the past 13 months or more Mr Simpson has been suffering from an acute psychotic major psychiatric illness."

Edited Conclusion:

Mr. Simpson is suffering from a mental illness as defined in the New South Wales Mental Health Act and requires treatment in a psychiatric hospital. He suffers from a psychotic disorder, which involves systematised paranoid delusions. He also has auditory hallucinations. Although he is receiving anti-psychotic medication, he remained psychotic at the time of the interview. He was clearly distressed and paranoid in his interactions with others. He has been in custody for almost four months.

If Scott wasn't getting any help with his psychiatric illness then it was clear to JA that it was possible he was being mistreated. It was also possible that he was not properly assessed on at least two of his last two placements and that had put him at risk.

Justice Action sent all the prisoners at the HRMU an authorisation to make some enquires on their behalf, as at least 25 prisoners had complained by then, of being mistreated in the unit. The authorities were telling them they were not segregated, when they insist they were. That they had to earn small things and that was insensitive to their basic needs. That they were not getting proper medial treatment had no constructive lifestyle, fresh air, sunlight or decent exercise, amongst many other complaints.

They sent their signatures on a signed application through another concerned person who had visited a prisoner at the HRMU.

Subsequently all the authorisations sent to the those prisoners who requested JA's help were confiscated by the Governor at the prison for approximately 11-13 months - during the period Scott Simpson remained helpless, sick and isolated.

(PIAC) the Public Interests Advocacy Centre was notified and assisted Justice Action to have the Governor and the Commissioner of Corrective Services review and release the authorities sent by JA so the prisoners could get help.

The reason the prisoners needed to send JA the authorities was because if those who want to assist them are not related to the prisoner then they are prevented from making enquiries about prisoners under the provisions of the Privacy Act.

Why JA needed the authorities from the prisoners was because the signed application the prisoners had originally sent never specified Justice Action in particular. A catch 22 but it meant no help for all those who suffered and probably still suffer unbearable consequences in extraordinary inhuman conditions at the HRMU even today.

Tracey Simpson Scott's sister said, "Why did they put him in segregation for 26 months, locked down for 23 hours a day and no contact with human people?

In June last year Scott was found not guilty of the murder of his cellmate on the grounds of insanity because he suffered from schizophrenia.

A few days later Scott Simpson 34 was found hanging in his long bay segregation cell in 12-wing area 2, hanging by a bed sheet with a hand written letter to his family on the floor of his cell.

His family say that they warned authorities that Scott needed psychiatric help.

Detective Senior Constable Chris Hogan from Maroubra police has told the inquest that he could not contact the prison officer, Paul McCormack who was the first person to find Scott Simpson hanging and that he never obtained a witness statement from him.

When questioned further Constable Hogan told the court that McCormack had left the department of Corrective Services shortly after Simpson's death and that he had tried on numerous occasions to contact him but to no avail and that he was unable to get a statement from the prime witness.

The court asked Senior Constable Hogan if McCormack could be located to see what he has to say? Hogan acknowledged that it was important and said he'll do that!

The president of the Mental Health Review Tribunal professor Duncan Chappell has told Simpson's inquest that there was a beaurocratic problem that the Supreme Court did not pass on his papers for psychiatric assessment.

"We were not getting rapid referrals...we were simply not aware of Mr Simpson's case," he said.

Professor Chappell has told the court that as many as one time there could be as many as forty inmates waiting to be admitted to the jails psychiatric hospital. He said if there is no bed for them they are likely to be placed in another part of the prison system.

" There are simply not enough places in the hospital for the number of forensic patients that exist."

He said that this is a tragedy that should have been averted and that this is inadequate treatment of a forensic patient.

Forensic Psychiatrist Professor David Greenberg told the court that Simpson's psychiatric illness could have been made worse by his segregation depending on how he handled the isolation and his previous experience of that environment.

"In his acute psychiatric state he was at risk of self-harm", he said.

His sisters say that he should have been in hospital not solitary confinement.

His sister Kelly Simpson said, "They just locked him up and threw away the key, that's how I fell about it."

And Tracey said, "and then they tell us in the paperwork that a bed had become available to him when he died."

The Simpson's say that there brother was supposed to be receiving medication in custody yet he was found with just 3mg of paracetamol in his system.

Questions arise about the duty of care by DCS:

Why was Scott not diagnosed upon his arrival at Silverwater if he had a mental illness?

If he had been assessed as having a mental illness, would he have been placed in a difficult situation or with another person?

Why was a child sex offender put in the main and in Scott's cell? There is also an obligation because of peer pressure in the main to beat up a protection prisoner in the main or be put on protection for being a dog and not doing something about it!

Did the Department of Corrective Services have a duty of care 'not to place Scott in a difficult situation without any treatment?

Why was Scott not placed in a mental health facility if as the psychiatric report states he has a mental illness?

Why wasn't he sent to a hospital for treatment immediately after being found not guilty of murder due to mental illness and many months of segregation?

There is also another strange twist if you want to believe it is possible!

The authorities had known Scott Simpson very well from his previous time in jail, he was very well known by the system and they knew that he would stand up for himself and would not allow the authorities to compromise his human rights. That is if he had a way of preventing that from happening. In jail they call it staunch but outside they'd call it dissent! Standing up for your rights!

But in the HRMU there is no such thing, there are no hanging points and no way out but gas and then you will do anything that the authorities want, right or wrong.

Modern jails don't burn and modern glass doesn't break. One wonders whether Scott had some idea that he was going to be sent back to insanity, after all, he never made it for any sort of treatment?

Many prisoners in segregation self harm and I think if they could not escape it that would be insanity so the sight of prison bars in an old style jail could be seen as a chance to escape 'insanity'.

So there is a greater possibility of suicide or I think in this case you may call it euthanasia. It's just a possibility that that ran through my own mind having some understanding of what it's like freezing and hungry in a segregation cell in Goulburn in the middle of winter without any hanging points, to some people that could be unbearable.

The inquest continues for two days and then resumes on February 28 at the Glebe Coroners Court Sydney.

 http://www.geocities.com/publik18/news2

Related:

Jail staff sexual assaults and drugs

"The fact there has been little action taken against staff for the alleged assaults suggests that the Government is happy to allow a culture of violence to be maintained in NSW prisons," he said.

More:  http://sydney.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=61493&group=webcast

Death in custody: In memory of Scott Simpson

Scott Simpson 34 died in custody on 7 June 2004, it is alleged that he hanged himself in a segregation yard at Long Bay Prison Complex.

More:  http://www.geocities.com/nswcn13/archive04/2004c21.html

Submission to Senate Inquiry into Mental Health 2005

Justice Action does not deny the existence of mental illness nor the real suffering it causes the many thousands of Australians afflicted with it and the millions of Australians affected by it. However, we believe the single greatest cause of distress and difficulty to the greatest proportion of those living with mental illness is the way our society responds to them.

More:  http://adelaide.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/8402

Submission to Senate Inquiry into Mental Health 2005

Justice Action does not deny the existence of mental illness nor the real suffering it causes the many thousands of Australians afflicted with it and the millions of Australians affected by it. However, we believe the single greatest cause of distress and difficulty to the greatest proportion of those living with mental illness is the way our society responds to them.

More:  http://adelaide.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/8402













Justice Action
- e-mail: ja@justiceaction.org.au
- Homepage: http://www.justiceaction.org.au

Comments

Hide the following comment

FORWARD THE JUDGMENT

29.11.2005 12:02

By Contributor

This is a copy of an original posting. I feel an irresistible urge to pass it on here. I hope that you feel the urge to do likewise.

FORWARD THE JUDGMENT

We might consider the Internet to be the solid foundation and medium of the 1st degree.

Those who maintain interactive websites are the mediums of the 2nd degree.

Post initiators are the mediums of the 3rd degree.

Post respondents are the mediums of the 4th degree.

The witnesses of post respondents are the mediums of the 5th degree.

The 6th degree ultimately begins to oppose the freedom of the 1st degree, by going after the 2nd then the 3rd degree (individual), preferring not to bear witness to the 4th and the 5th degree. Suppressing the fifth degree is where the warfare and selective labeling breeds.

These are the 6 mediums of the permitted realm of expression and suppression.

The 7th medium is a witness before the world that declares ‘We the People’ are the media and ‘thee the oppressor’ will not suppress our assemblies and marches for world peace and the rapid, thunderous dialogue that We Truly Do Require. The people, out of free will, must call forth the 7th medium for the adoption and protection of divine innocence.



About Torture of the Mind, Body and Spirit

(OUR apologies to those named herein, but law requires that charges can only be mediated between living entities. The term ‘Locus Standi” has been clothed in sackcloth. Shall libel once again trump locus standi?)



Open Letter to the Vatican, President G.W. Bush and the Council for National Policy and All other Government Institutions that Will Not Partake of “Babylon”:

“You People” would have us think that democracy needs to be rescued from the state, but in the interest of the oppressed multitudes, as history does testify, democracy needs to be rescued from your theocracy. What has changed in the last two thousand years?

“You People” hide behind a veil while you chip away at the wall separating church and state. This is why “You People” gather in some secret “holy place” three times yearly, to devise plans – not to educate the public as a viable 501 (c) 3 charity.

“Your” Mother is “Babylon”. She is a tax shelter. She is a shelter of serpents and the mighty merchants of the Earth. This is why You People keep that Old “Whore” on life-support.

Through censorship, humiliation, threats of libel, or fear of crucifixion, “You People” hold back the publicity that would tie a millstone around Her neck and cast Her into the abyss. What has changed in the last two thousand years?

To be mightier than the sword, the pen must be mightier than the blue pencil. This is why prophets write riddles, and false prophets like “You” ancient Papal Representatives of the Council for National Policy are unable to interpret them in ways that render them meaningful to the hopeful.

Given the right incentive, “You People” will back down from your religiously disguised tyranny without raising the sword. Moreover, without raising the sword, the right incentive will appear to “You People”.

“You People” cannot come forward and defend your “Harlot” Mother in court, and thereby incriminate yourselves before the world, without a constitutional amendment to protect your sorry souls from judgment.

Libel, from Latin libellus “little book”

“If we did not believe in their book, they would not listen to us. So now we invite them to come have a look at what we’ve done with their wonderfully mysterious book.”

“That which leads into captivity will go into captivity.” *



Open Letter to Pope Benedict XVI, Tim LaHaye, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and the Council for National Policy and All other Religious Institutions that Will Not Partake of “Babylon”:

About Religious Torture

When the false prophet stands up to speak, he accuses the enlightened one of either fulfilling (impostor) or attempting to fulfill written prophecy.

When the false prophet stands up to speak, he closes his eyes and ears lest he should see for himself that the messianic need not wait for written words to become manifest.

When the false prophet stands up to speak, the eyes and the ears of his congregations remain closed.

When the false prophet stands up to speak, he incites tribulation, whereas the enlightened one stands up to speak so that the days of written prophecies will be shortened and the sting of death will no longer “wear out the saints of the Most High”.

When the enlightened one stands up to speak, he will arrive at the judgment throne before the Accuser is able to.

When the enlightened one stands up to speak, he publicly invites the false prophet to join him before the judgment throne and the congregations of the differing peoples.

When the enlightened one who is protected by the wings of providence stands up to speak, the eyes and the ears of the world become opened.

[Paste ‘censor_this.gif’ here:]

LIBEL MUST BE IMPOSED UPON THE LAWS that fail world security and uphold the right to remove the rights of others and spit in the face of the universally accepted golden rule which summarizes ancient and modern, religious and social, policies and speculation (prophecy).

“A true prophet in any nation is a true prophet for every nation.”

The “Devil’s” policy is the same in every nation: “Tear down that wall between church and state, so that the world may never bring me to justice.” Oh, but he couldn’t wait for the saints to remove the veil first. It is no wonder that the peacemakers have been so frustrated trying to deal with religiously misplaced spirituality. It is no wonder they go mad within the confines of fighting the blue pencil of “Babylon”. Oh what tails that blue pencil does tell.


“Shut out Truth.
Silence the Host.
Play the part of the Holy Ghost.
Control the knowledge that they need most.
Then rape their god “fearing” souls from coast to coast.”



The false prophet emerges from behind the veil. He stands before the congregations warning them of what is to come. Then he returns to the secret chamber to formulate the fulfillment of his words.

None will save “Babylon” but those who work in the dark secrecy of Her “most holy” place.

“Messiah” is not someone that the dragon can destroy. “Messiah” is a song of jubilee.

“Messiah” is not something that the serpent can deploy. “Messiah” is a song of jubilee.

If they say that “He” is here on earth in a destructible form, “believe it NOT”!

“That which leads into captivity will go into captivity.” *

Together we will say, rise up and come away.

The judgment of the ‘little book’ arrives by the hour now…


This is a copy of an original posting.

[Paste ‘tw_anim_public_domain.gif’ here]

Always make your URL link to the place you will publish or copy and paste to next. Feel free to replace these URL links as the ‘little book’ becomes polished in the waters and sunshine of Public Domain. And decide with friends and family whether or not you should FORWARD THE JUDGMENT.

[Replace links here]

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/world/2005/11/328429.html
 http://hamilton.indymedia.org/mod/comments/update/index.php
 http://bc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/7746/index.php

[Replace links here]

“And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.” Revelation 10:8 KJV

In the mean time, help SPARKY the star key witness. One spark can warm up this planet to a temperature that the unjust cannot endure or stop. For now, we will go out to watch and report what enters in…


~ Dedicated and forwarded to Hugo Chavez, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the LGBT community, the Seventh Day Adventist World Church and Liberty Magazine, the ACLU, the Anti-Defamation League, the BCCLU, Marc Emery of Canada, and dedicated to the generations that lie ahead.

[Place Relevant Foundation Here]
And The Foundation for Arab - Israeli Reconciliation

Seeking accountability.

contributor


Upcoming Coverage
View and post events
Upcoming Events UK
24th October, London: 2015 London Anarchist Bookfair
2nd - 8th November: Wrexham, Wales, UK & Everywhere: Week of Action Against the North Wales Prison & the Prison Industrial Complex. Cymraeg: Wythnos o Weithredu yn Erbyn Carchar Gogledd Cymru

Ongoing UK
Every Tuesday 6pm-8pm, Yorkshire: Demo/vigil at NSA/NRO Menwith Hill US Spy Base More info: CAAB.

Every Tuesday, UK & worldwide: Counter Terror Tuesdays. Call the US Embassy nearest to you to protest Obama's Terror Tuesdays. More info here

Every day, London: Vigil for Julian Assange outside Ecuadorian Embassy

Parliament Sq Protest: see topic page
Ongoing Global
Rossport, Ireland: see topic page
Israel-Palestine: Israel Indymedia | Palestine Indymedia
Oaxaca: Chiapas Indymedia
Regions
All Regions
Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World
Other Local IMCs
Bristol/South West
Nottingham
Scotland
Social Media
You can follow @ukindymedia on indy.im and Twitter. We are working on a Twitter policy. We do not use Facebook, and advise you not to either.
Support Us
We need help paying the bills for hosting this site, please consider supporting us financially.
Other Media Projects
Schnews
Dissident Island Radio
Corporate Watch
Media Lens
VisionOnTV
Earth First! Action Update
Earth First! Action Reports
Topics
All Topics
Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista
Major Reports
NATO 2014
G8 2013
Workfare
2011 Census Resistance
Occupy Everywhere
August Riots
Dale Farm
J30 Strike
Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands
G20 London Summit
University Occupations for Gaza
Guantanamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
COP15 Climate Summit 2009
Carmel Agrexco
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Stop Sequani
Stop RWB
Climate Camp 2008
Oaxaca Uprising
Rossport Solidarity
Smash EDO
SOCPA
Past Major Reports
Encrypted Page
You are viewing this page using an encrypted connection. If you bookmark this page or send its address in an email you might want to use the un-encrypted address of this page.
If you recieved a warning about an untrusted root certificate please install the CAcert root certificate, for more information see the security page.

Global IMC Network


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech