Jailhouse Rock?

A small article in Saturday's edition of the Adelaide Advertiser was titled "Prison Party" and subtitled "Corby Silent On Clemency Plea". For those of you outside Australia, a few years ago a young woman named Schapelle Corby was convicted of smuggling marijuana into Bali in her boogie board. She denied knowing anything about the drugs, but was tried and convicted and sentenced to twenty years in Kerobokan prison. The Indonesians are very tough on drug smuggling. Numerous appeals and trials have yielded no relief. Prison life anywhere is not pleasant, but in a country like Bali perhaps even less so, especially for a westerner not used to Third World conditions. Needless to say Ms. Corby's health has been deteriorating under prison life, far away from family and friends with no hope (so far) of clemency. Her family is concerned that she is literally losing her mind; she has already been hospitalized several times for psychotic breaks. Kerobokan prison is also home to other Australian drug smugglers, several of whom have been condemned to either life sentences or the death penalty. A grim situation all round.

Ms. Corby refused to talk to the reporter of the article, or make any comment on further appeals for clemency or her deteriorating mental state. On this occasion she was seen at "festivities at Bali's Kerobokan prison". What kind of "festivities" you ask? Perhaps a respite from the harsh conditions, a celebration of some kind, a party for the inmates to relieve the unbearable loneliness, insanity, boredom and suffering in such a hopeless universe? Guess again.

This prison party was "to mark the anniversary of Indonesia's penal system" at which "jail guards and officials played games of table tennis and volleyball."

What????

This is cruel and unusual punishment. Surely, this must be covered somewhere by the Geneva Convention? I mean, come on. The last thing I'd want to see while I'm in some hell hole of a prison for twenty years or life or waiting to be put to death, is my jailers having a good time playing games and celebrating the prison system. "Oh yeah, pass me a cup of that punch and would you make sure mine has a Jonestown sized dose of hemlock in it? Thanks ever so much." And they say Schapelle is losing her mind?

I can't imagine what a party to celebrate the prison system is like. Is there music? A cake with "Happy Anniversary Penal System" written in icing on it? Are there balloons shaped like handcuffs and night sticks on the tables? Do they gather around and sing when they cut the cake? "For we're not jolly good fellows, for we're not jolly good fellows, for we're not jolly good fellows...which nobody can deny..." Please tell me they don't give the prisoners gifts. "Here you go. A commemorative twenty year calendar."

The mind boggles.