Long-term jail loans for Schapelle Corby
When I talk about UNRIGHTEOUS WOMEN TAKE A GOOD HARD LOOK! SCHAPELLE Corby and Bali Nine members are among about 50 Australians in overseas jails who have shared $153,000 worth of taxpayer-funded loans since 2005.
The 50 prisoners, some of whom face prison terms of 20 years or more, receive a total of about $50,000 a year in loans from the Federal Government to pay for things such as bedding, medicines and toiletries in foreign jails.
The loans, required to be repaid after a prisoner's release, are provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to pay for items overseas jails refuse to provide.
DFAT would not comment on whether Corby and Bali Nine members were receiving the funds.
But it is understood almost all long-term Australian prisoners in Indonesia receive about $125 a month in living expenses from the Government.
Foreign Prisoner Support Services' Kay Danes said the assistance was essential in helping Australians meet basic needs, including those in Kerobokan jail, where Corby is.
"Australian prisoners in foreign prisons where adequate food and other essentials such as bedding, cooking utensils, medicines, clothing, soap, etc, are not provided by the prison authorities, may be eligible to receive a fully repayable prisoner loan," a DFAT spokeswoman said.
The Government paid the prisoners $50,538 last year, $57,329 in 2006-07 and $46,029 in 2005-06.
"Eligibility for such loans is restricted to those prisoners in systems where such financial assistance is demonstrably needed, " the spokeswoman said.
"The prisoner must be, or is being detained with the likelihood of becoming, a long-term prisoner."
Ms Danes said her group also collected public donations for purposes including clean water, vegetables and clothing for prisoners.
"Over the years we have had quite a few Australians detained in Thailand who have ended up in hospital there," she said.
"With the support of the loan scheme they've been able to gain access to proper in-date medicines and treatments for a variety of illnesses; dengue fever, malaria, TB.
"Mostly, people provide letters of support which, in most instances, helps improve a prisoner's state of mind. Some things people send to female prisoners are toiletries, sample sachets of beauty products, soaps, cooling powder for hot climates, clothes and reading material.
"The amount Australians receive is generally calculated, from my understanding, on a number of factors including the economic status of the country in which they are detained."
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