| Has anybody ever heard of a Bad Guy's lawyer praising his jail conditions? C'mon, 'fess up now... |
Lawyers for a Victorian man remanded in custody over alleged terrorism offences say he is being detained under inhumane conditions. Joseph Terrence Thomas, 31, of Werribee was refused bail last week after being accused of training with Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and working for Osama Bin Laden in Australia. Thomas is being held in a maximum-security unit in Barwon prison at Lara south-west of Melbourne. The prison houses Victoria's most notorious offenders.
Thomas's lawyer, Rob Stary, says his client should be in a metropolitan prison. Mr Stary says it is a complete over-reaction, considering his client has not been convicted. "When he's not in his cell he's required to be shackled with leg irons, he's required to be handcuffed, including the time he has any visits," Mr Stary said. "There's no contact visits, he's in 23-hour lock-up, segregated from other prisoners." Corrections Victoria's Kelvin Anderson says the strict conditions have been deemed appropriate for Thomas's risk assessment. Thomas will face court again in February. |