Jailed Aussie Killer Sues Court To Get PlayStation

[Karloff]

Jailed Aussie Killer Sues Court To Get PlayStation

Julian Knight, the Hoddle Street mass murderer, thinks the government has been maliciously denying him a PC and game console.

In 1987 Julian Knight, then a 19-year-old army officer cadet, went on a 48 minute shooting rampage in Melbourne's Hoddle Street, killing seven and injuring 19 others. Arrested and charged as a young adult, he's currently serving what amounts to seven life sentences; though he is eligible for parole in 2014, the Victoria government has gone on record as saying it's unlikely that Knight will ever be released. It's also unlikely, as Knight has discovered, that he'll ever get the computer and PlayStation console he's been asking for. So Knight has decided to sue the government to get what he wants.

He's been trying to get a computer, to help him study and prepare for an appeal, since 2006. The PlayStation is a more recent request. "I only have to walk around the prison and I can see with my own eyes who has a computer and who doesn't," says Knight. "I'm the only prisoner who has made applications to have a computer who has had it denied and denied repeatedly." As a vexatious litigant, his first step must be to prove to the court that his application would not be doomed to fail, as he needs the court's permission before he can even start a proceeding.

The case is pending, and will be heard next week.

Source: Herald Sun [http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/hoddle-st-killer-julian-knight-launches-legal-action-over-decision-not-to-allow-him-a-playstation-in-his-cell/story-fnat7jnn-1226642366520]


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[008Zulu_v1legacy]

Apparently he has never heard of books, which predate the internet. As does his crime.

 

[luvd1]

Oh the humanity. Read a book. It's not like you need to be some where else in a hurry. Relaxe, chill and improve your mind by not watching cat videos and playing CoD.

 

[Legion]

It comforts me knowing that this kind of crap isn't only happening in the UK.

Because we all know that the rights to a computer are more important than the lives of seven innocent people and the well being of nineteen others. I don't think prisoners should be allowed any form of entertainment. Not when that money comes from people paying taxes who work for a living and still may not have the money for luxuries.

 

[Deu Sex]

"I'm the only prisoner who has made applications to have a computer who has had it denied and denied repeatedly."

Now isn't that peculiar? I wonder what the jail's reasoning for that might be? Hmm...maybe, it has something to do with the fact YOU SHOT TWENTY-SIX PEOPLE

 

[J Tyran]

It comforts me knowing that this kind of crap isn't only happening in the UK.

Because we all know that the rights to a computer are more important than the lives of seven innocent people and the well being of nineteen others. I don't think prisoners should be allowed any form of entertainment. Not when that money comes from people paying taxes who work for a living and still may not have the money for luxuries.

Because prisons do not work like that, sure harsh justice is great and all that jazz but the worse you treat the inmates the worse they behave. Just look at US prisons and some of the East Asian or South American hellholes to see how well harsh justice actually works.

Not only do you further criminalize inmates that might otherwise be rehabilitated and no longer be a problem for the state you make it more costly to actually run the institution, you have to constantly manage hundreds or thousands of bored and angry inmates. They assault each other, they assault staff and they cause damage to the fabric of the institution. Refitting a smashed up cell costs many thousands of pounds, a £100 TV makes it less likley that the inmate will smash up his cell and that's not even the cost of a sink. Insurance payouts to injured officers cost huge amounts of money too, then you also have the much rarer all out riots which can cost millions. Look how often you have violent mutinies in American jails and compare that to British prisons.

Creating incentives and rewards for good behavior improves the cost effectiveness of the facility much better than spending money on trying to contain angry inmates and hiring enough staff to provide effective supervision.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Ah, so if everyone else has one...ok, then I could understand why this might be a complaint.

 

[VoidWanderer]

I'd have no problem giving him those things, as well as any Dora the Explorer or Spongebob games

 

[J Tyran]

his crime warrants a harsher punishment

No they don't, not in the way you mean. His punishment from the courts should fit the crime but the individual treatment within the criminal justice system should be the same as every other inmate. If others are getting access to computers and he is not and there is no good reason for that its wrong.

 

[Guffe]

Give him the PC
We might get another interesting user here on the Escapist!

So yeah, he could read but I have to say that if he really wants to study, the internet is a better place than books. They could start by giving him books and if he still shows enthusiasm towards one or two subjects they could give him a computer to study on?

 

[J Tyran]

his crime warrants a harsher punishment

No they don't, not in the way you mean. His punishment from the courts should fit the crime but the individual treatment within the criminal justice system should be the same as every other inmate. If others are getting access to computers and he is not and there is no good reason for that its wrong.

That's purely a matter of opinion since he's not the same as every other inmate. I'll save my sympathy for the ones that actually have a chance of redeeming themselves.

The point isn't really about the individual though, I find his crime no less disgusting than you but the real issue is the fairness of the system.

You either have a fair system that serves justice and separates dangerous people from society or you do not. If this guy is being denied things that other inmates receive who decides that? Is it the governors whim? What happens if the governor has whims about other inmates? Maybe he hates them for being gay or a supporter of another political party, just deciding things like that is a sign of unfairness within the system. Just coming up with reasons why one inmate is worse than another isn't justice and is little different to a Royal decree.

I am not accusing the authorities involved in this case of that, we do not know enough about exactly why he was denied and there might be perfectly valid reasons.

 

[Marudas]

Even prior to the issue of how inmates need to be treated and who decides the level of treatment for each particular inmate, I see it as a failing that this man wasn't just executed. It's not an issue of mercy or compassion. Even if he miraculously did get reformed & paroled, he would never be hired by anyone ever, and nobody would have anything for him but contempt. He'd likely be alienated to the point where he was driven to another violent act.

 

[rofltehcat]

He is a mass murderer with a life sentence. The prison or wing he is in is surely reserved for other criminals with long sentences for heavy crimes like murder. Mixing. If he is the only one in the wing who had his request denied, it is his right to challenge this decision.

Even if someone is incarcerated, that person still has rights even if some of their rights are suspended. One of his rights is to apply (and prepare) for parole. In the end, it doesn't play a role if the government -and I agree with them on this point- think that his chance for parole is nonexistant. Unless their system works vastly different, this is not for the government to decide but for the judiciary. So he can at least have his case heard.
Computers are so important today that not knowing how to use one is a strong impairment that would further decrease his chance of finding work (unlikely scenario, I agree) in the event of parole even further. Therefor, if the other inmates with long sentences and a chance for parole are supplied with them, he should also get one. Remember that he probably has never been able to use a computer.

As for the playstation... that request is just BS as he doesn`t need it for anything than entertainment. Especially considering psychological reasons, denying him (violent) video games may or may not be justified.

 

[luvd1]

How's this. Give him a pc but make it use dial up only and give him a psone?

 

[SadisticFire]

I think some people don't understand that happy prisoners are likely to turn into happy citizens.

Tyran made most of points already so I don't think it's required to say it again. But,

prisoners are still human beings. Ones that get bored, ones that feel happiness, ones that feel anger. If you deny them some of the basic rights, they'll get angry, double so if you are only choosing a single person. He'll get supa' angry, and start injuring others and breaking. That stuff is expensive.