December 29, 2024 • 43 mins
While the Clink goes on break for the summer, enjoy some classic episodes
Trigger Warning: This episode discusses real stories of childabuse, sexual abuse and suicide. If you need help please call Lifeline 13 11 14
Mel Watson is a former prison guard who worked the infamous Long Bay. She came from a trouble upbringing and is a survivor of multiple abuses from her youth to adulthood. In part 1 we hear her journey and some of the things she witness as a screw at Long Bay
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Approache Production.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Hey guys, Simai here from the Clink.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
While we take a short break over the Christmas period,
We're going to drop a couple of episodes, some of
our favorite of twenty twenty four so you don't miss
out and can continue following the Clink. This episode has
been proudly brought to you by our longtime sponsored supporters
Sideway Surf.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Thank you for all your support.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
This episode of The Clink discusses the sensitive topic of
child abuse, sexual abuse and suicide. It may be triggering
for some listeners. Please take care when listening. The number
four lifeline is thirteen eleven fourteen.
Speaker 5 (00:57):
Photo recket. Don't try and make you out comfortable. Photo
record you to try a world and stuff for your
photo rack lab on me going oh the work fort record,
ain't trying to link, No trying to wish.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Record for.
Speaker 5 (01:16):
Record rate for the ready for a record. Don't try
and make you uncomfortable.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Welcome back to season fourteen of The Clink. Real Stories
of Redemption. Wow, what a season. We've had a massive
shout out the Sideways Serf who always walk beside us
and keep us able to deliver you the.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Best stories of redemption.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
I'm so glad everybody's responses, and if you're not already,
jump over to Instagram to the Clink podcast page. There
are so many messages and I'm grateful to everybody who
continues to thank me for what we deliver and our
guests for their stories of the redemption.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Today's story is very triggering.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
I will say that to start with, it is not
something that we've normally delivered. We will be going dark deep,
and it is a very very powerful story. Our guest
has worked in the absolute depths of some of the
most sickest minds of this country, and it's actually an
honor to have her on. She was as what we
(02:20):
will call a prison officer or commonly known as a
screw to many of you out there who do listen
to the podcast, and no offense to her by saying that,
but I'm sure that she understands where I'm coming from
in layman's terms. Guys, this is a story that I
want to share. It's an informative story and it is
(02:40):
a story of redemption because our guest has had her
own walk of life and is a survivor herself. Today,
i'd love to introduce you to Mel Watson. Mel welcome
to the clink. This is super super like. I'm actually
very excited today to have you here with me and
(03:01):
for us to share with the world what I believe
will be already like no other.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
And wow, what a life so far that you've lived.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
I'm excited to be here and thank you so much
for having me.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
You are a survivor yourself of sexual abuse. Is that correct? Yes,
that's right, and you definitely have walked the path a
fine line when it comes to drugs and trialing the
different things in life that we often do, and many
of us get caught up in and end up in
(03:35):
some serious addiction which then later leads us into jails.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
You yourself were in jail.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
But managed to be on the other side of the fence,
so to speak.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
You were the key holder.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
On the wrong side.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
I say, well, the wrong side may be, but for
today and for what we'll get into in your story,
I must say it has worked out to be the
most perfect side because what you do today and I
cannot wait to share your story is phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
And the way that you're out there and you know,
you really.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Are standing up for survivors, and you yourself have so
much factual input to what it is like to work
around pedophiles, scum of the earth, sexual predators that destroy
the lives of people, take their innocence. It is the
most as far as I'm concerned, horrific crimes. I don't
(04:35):
care what anyone says. You cannot convince me, especially as
a survivor myself. Enough about me, let's talk about you.
Let's go back to what it was like growing up.
Speaker 6 (04:47):
I grew up in a domestic violence household. There was
a lot of family violence. My parents were very toxic.
My brother and I were born straight into that, so
we never actually got, you know, the happy childhood that
you would expect to have, and we would have police
at our house, would go outside after huge fights on
(05:09):
the whole street would be watching. And I was, unfortunately
in that environment where there was so much neglect because.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
My parents were either well my mum.
Speaker 6 (05:21):
Was heavily addicted to prescription pills, so she was always
asleep and my dad was always at work, so when
they would come back together, it was just chaos fighting,
and unfortunately that resulted in sexual abuse. So at the
age of four, I was sexually abused by a family
(05:42):
member and also a next door neighbor. And it's no
disrespect to my parents, but I do put it down
to that environment being unsupervised and you know, not watching
us and not focusing on us. And then I missed
out on a lot of school. When I did go
to school, I couldn't interact with kids.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
I was very I guess I was in a.
Speaker 6 (06:06):
Way a bully like I was just a very angry child,
and I struggled to get along with children, and I
struggled to have friends, and people didn't understand me. And
then when I got to the age of eight to ten,
I think it was between those ages, I was sexually
abused at a public pool by an old man, so
(06:26):
he was swimming underwater, he had goggles on and sexually
abused me in a very busy pool, where I ended
up telling the lifeguard and my stepmom at the time,
but unfortunately he had left. So there was that, and
then there was my parents after they separated. There was
a lot of alienation. I had to pick a side.
(06:50):
There was manipulation. I was going to school and you know,
saying really nasty things about the other parent to my
teachers because that's what was put into my head, and
then I got to high school and all the hormone
uans and all the trauma coming out, and I just
started turning to drugs.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
I was partying. I was very, very rebellious. I was
up to no good. I was running away, coming home
late at night, fighting with my parents.
Speaker 6 (07:22):
And at that age, I think age of fifteen, I
got groomed by my dad's best friend.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
So he knew a lot about what happened to me.
Speaker 6 (07:32):
I disclosed a lot of my life to him as
a child, and he unfortunately took that upon him to
target me because I was so vulnerable, and it turned
into a sexual relationship, which came out when I was eighteen,
and that's when I became suicidal.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
So can I just slow that down for a little bit. Yeah,
And to no disrespect of this story, I just wanted
to just break it down a little bit more for
our listeners. So you're thirteen being groomed by an adult
man this sexual relationship. Did you call it a relationship?
(08:11):
So was it something that you just accepted.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
That that was the norm at that time?
Speaker 1 (08:17):
It was something I called it a relationship.
Speaker 6 (08:21):
I thought I was in love and actually, up until
the age of twenty seven, I was telling people that
I regret having an affair when I was because he
was married with kids. So I was telling people like,
I had an affair and when I was fifteen years
old with a man who was in his thirties and
he was also my dad's best friend and he was
(08:41):
also my boss.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
So was this more do you think like a And
please don't once again, I'm not trying to be offensive here.
I would really like to get deep into this because
it's yeah, there is so much around these sexual predators,
and that's all I'm going to refer to them. As
(09:03):
you know, you're a young woman, and you're a very
attractive young woman. I'm sure that you were. You were
gorgeous when you were younger. This man obviously knew you
were extremely vulnerable, knowing the family, knowing you have confined
in him.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Did you.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Feel I guess at that stage that this was more
just a comfort thing, a protection thing, him being there.
Was it something like that in reference to you just
having that male there to know that you are okay even.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Though it was wrong.
Speaker 6 (09:36):
Yeah, I think because there was just no love in
my childhood, I think that's always what I was searching
for as I got older.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
And I just wanted to say, it's my point.
Speaker 6 (09:48):
You know, this person was showing me love and showing
me something that not even my parents were.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Giving to me.
Speaker 6 (09:54):
So it was just so hard to realize how wrong
I was, especially at that age and with everything that
was going on.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
You know, I guess as a survivor, must I do
totally one understand the mindset and mentality of these sick people. Yeah,
and I'm sure that our listeners out there who are survivors,
and please, if you are, do take very good care
of yourself after this, and if it is true, then
please reach out and we will leave some information at
(10:24):
the end of this for you.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Now.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
I I'm feeling a little bit emotional listening to your
story already because I'm visualizing. I'm starting to get a
picture of this broken young woman, this broken young girl
you weren't even a woman at thirteen, Yeah, not at all,
you know, seeking the love that she didn't have, seeking
that protection that male I guess comfort.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
You know that I have a daughter myself who's sixteen.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
You know, she lays down with me and watches TV
and comes in and gives me a cuddle and a snug.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Dad can I and that's me is just so heart feeling,
you know, for her.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
Just that's what she needs, that's what she wants in seventeen,
she just wants.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
To be held by and loved her dad. You didn't
receive that, but you deserved that.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
Yeah, this man obviously was trying to replicate that, but
then taking things well and truly out of context. And
I'm sure that he's very conscious of this. Did this
come out to his wife?
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Yes, So.
Speaker 6 (11:28):
He actually had photos of me that he had linked
to his wife's like eye cloud, so that had popped
up on her phone and that's what she had found.
But I still hadn't told anyone, and he hadn't told
(11:49):
anyone who was like he hadn't told his wife or
it was. But I ended up telling my dad and
it pretty much just all came back in my face.
I got victim blamed very badly also by.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
How fucked is that? I never I'll never forget that
I got back handed. The moment I said I was
being raped by my nigh was two brothers who lived
basically men raping me and I tried to expose them
and I was told, you're fucking liar. I'm backhanded, in front,
in front of in front of their uncle who my
(12:27):
father drank alcohol with, like well what the fuck? And
I'm a boy and you know you're a young woman,
And it basically is the same thing.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
It's the second thing. It's so common. I hear it
from so many people.
Speaker 6 (12:40):
It's you know, they come out and then they're the
ones in trouble for it, or they're the ones who
are getting the blame for it.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
And it's like.
Speaker 6 (12:47):
These are children, these are like even teenagers are children
and miners.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
You know, the brain, our brains are not.
Speaker 6 (12:53):
Fully developed, and it should only lie on the person
who did it, or the blame and the shame and
everything else should lie on them. It's just one thing
that I I copped it so bad. I ended up,
honestly like hiding away from where I grew up.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
I hid away from everyone.
Speaker 6 (13:13):
I had all my social media just like lockdown, nobody
could add me. And I really talk like that really
fucked me up. The victim blaming was honestly worse the thing.
That's the event itself. Yeah, yeah, made me suicidal at eighteen.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
He got me fuck me.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
I actually don't really get emotionally.
Speaker 6 (13:42):
I.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
No and I'm gonna be honest with you. I knew
this was going to be.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
I knew this was going to be a solid one,
and I knew that.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
That it's going to be quite rattling, you know.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
And I think about where we're going to go with
this conversation and what you worked around seeing.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Far out.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
I'm having a bit of a moment myself, because, as
I said in the start, this is going to be
triggering for many.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Yeah it's triggering me right now. So apologies, but.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
This is the clink, and this is real stories of redemption,
and this is about real people sharing real stories. And
I want to say to you, I I'm sorry you
went through that, and I know that you know that
doesn't change anything, and we both understand.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Yeah, the realities of living with the traumas of abuse,
but let's continue. Aideen. You become suicidal.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Yeah, I was suicidal.
Speaker 6 (14:51):
I was just like looking back on my life and
I was just like fuck this, Like what is there
for me?
Speaker 1 (14:59):
I didn't feel like I belonged. Everyone turned on me,
My own dad turned on me, and I just I
was ready to go.
Speaker 6 (15:10):
And it was my mum actually who she flew me
down to Melbourne. She was from Victoria and she basically
was trying to get me back on track, like get
me out of that really dark place I was in.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
And there was.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Like using a lot of drugs at that time. Now,
was it something that you.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Were sort of that was your way of facing the
world and of drugs if you don't mind what we're
using and what was your habit, you know what was
your thing?
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Weed was definitely my thing.
Speaker 6 (15:44):
I was smoking a lot of that, but I was
also doing a lot of pills that was like my
party drug, and drinking, like drinking heavily, and I was
mixing all of that together, and I guess that that
also was bringing me down as well. I was turning
(16:05):
to all these little escapes. But in the end, it
was like once I was coming out of it, like
for example, I'd have pills and then the next day
I was like on the calmdown, and that's when I
was feeling the worst, like just oppressed and you know,
fuck this and I don't want to do this anymore.
And yeah, I just got to that point where I
(16:27):
was just I was honestly, I had it made up
in my mind that I was I was going and yeah,
I have my mom to think because if it wasn't
for her and her supporting me through that, being the
only person who supported me through that, I wouldn't have
been you.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
No way.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
I'm not going to ask you how because as far
as I'm concerned, and I've done a lot of work
around suicidality and our language around.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Speaking of.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
People taking their lives, and I don't feel that we
need to discuss.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
How things happen and what took place. But I would
like to ask.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
You know that moment happened, you survived, How did you survive?
And from there where did things go?
Speaker 1 (17:20):
I'm just going to tell you I was trying to overdose.
Speaker 6 (17:24):
And I messaged my mom and I was just basically
telling her like I'm going to kill myself. And that's
when she was just like please, just I will fly
you down to Melbourne the next day. Just come down here,
let me let me help you. And I was just
like no, like I didn't even want her help. I
(17:45):
was just like, no, I've made up my mind, like
I'm this is what I'm doing. And it was that
conversation with her, I guess where I was just like,
you know, what have I got to lose like I
can always do this, And at that moment, I really
wanted to see my mom as well. Just hearing in
her voice and everything. I think that was what pulled
(18:07):
me out of it. And yeah, I flew down with her,
and basically she didn't really she didn't really fix me,
because I just came back even worse. But she stopped
me and she gave me a chance to get better.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Amen to that.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
That's all I'm going to say, because you know your
journey is an amazing one, and you know that for
our listeners that you've really got to hang into this
story because it gets it gets crazy and wow, wow,
(18:47):
wow wow, and hence me wanting to have you on
here to share that. You know, we're about to hit
three million downloads and I want every one of those
persons to hear your story. And I know it's going
to resonate. I know we're going to help people. I
know that you're going to be able to have your voice,
you know. And it makes me so proud to have
(19:07):
a platform that I can do this on and give people,
wonderful people like yourself this opportunity to be able to
you know, share this terrible and horrific traumatic start to
your life, but far out.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Man, Wow, what a road that it went after.
Speaker 6 (19:27):
This is weird when it's so weird, like saying it
out loud, because I've been so silent about my life,
like I've never really I've never had a voice, if
that makes sense. So I'm still very vulnerable, Like sharing
my story, it's still very like gives me anxiety, but
it needs, like I need to talk about it because
(19:49):
I know that it will resonate with others, and I
know that it will help others find their voice. And
that's that's something that I want everyone to have, is
a voice.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
You connected back with mum.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Yeah, had Mum known at this point the real depth
of your trauma and abuse or.
Speaker 6 (20:06):
My parents have always believed me with all of my
sexual abuse, but I was blamed for the one at fifteen.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
So basically it was your choice.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
You chose to allow that to occur, in those actions
to take place, and being that relationship with that married me.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Yes, that's correct.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
What happened once you got back in contact with mum
and moving forward from the attempt.
Speaker 6 (20:36):
So I went to Victoria for a little bit, for
maybe a couple of weeks, maybe a little longer. I
came back to Sydney and then I just continued what
I was doing, partying, drinking, snorting coke.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
That was my thing when I came back. And then.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
I think I shouldn't laugh, and look, please, it's not
funny because there are people out there that you know.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
No, no, why why do we all love the coke?
Speaker 3 (21:09):
I mean, it's just something the I'm addicted to coke
zero these days. I don't snort it, but I definitely
drink it out of a glass bottle.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
Now you know what it was.
Speaker 6 (21:17):
I don't know why, but everywhere I would go, like
to a night club or something, I would go into
the bathrooms make friends with a girl and she would
ask me if I wanted to, you know, have rack
up some lines in the cubicle, and what.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
The fuck is wrong with us? Like, I don't know
how many times people do that? And you see them
just on a filthy, disgusting, fucking toilet, sit there and
tip a bag out, rail it up and then everyone's
just snorting like what now that fuck? It is the
most beutred. But we've all been there when we're young.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Oh my goodness, Like there's no no, elegance is there
around it.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
It's just get it in there and have a good
time on the.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
Top of the toilet bowl gym.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Oh wow wow.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
And we didn't have phones so much back then, and
I mean, well I didn't. And anyway, I don't know
about your generation because you're a little bit younger, but yeah,
far out you know, wow, the old I don't come
in handy didn't it over the year?
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Is the key? Hard? Well there you go.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
So and look, we're not inspiring people out there or
to go into any queue because of any nightclub and
snort coke because not at all.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Please don't. It is shit, literally shit.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Especially now coke is definitely not coke anymore. So just
don't even risk.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
No, it's not.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
And the world is a different place to what it
was many years ago. You know, that style of life
becomes very routine, and you know, like it is. It's
such a smoke screen way of living because you know,
all you're doing is suppressing the truth and the cold
hard emotions of what you're living with.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
You know, that's exactly what I was doing.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
How was for you Mail?
Speaker 3 (23:06):
When the reality kicked back in during the week, you know,
and Mel had to really face you know, the facts
of what was going on in your life.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
Talk to us about that.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
I wasn't facing I wasn't facing anything. No, no, no,
I was.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
So you were wearing this mark.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
I was escaping everything.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
Oh.
Speaker 6 (23:23):
I didn't want to face it. I didn't want to
think about it. I was just going out all the time,
smoking weed all the time. And it got to the
point where I went out one night and this was
This was probably not that long after I came back
from Melbourne. I went out and I met a guy,
and three months later I ended up pregnant at I
(23:45):
was pregnant at eighteen, and.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
That was hard because I ended up getting.
Speaker 6 (23:51):
Personatal depression with my boy and I had to have
a nurse come to my house for a year to
help me look after him because I was just I
hadn't I just jumped from being suicidal and then I'm
a mum, do you know what I mean? With someone
that I barely know.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
So that was But you know, my boy saved my life.
Speaker 6 (24:14):
If it wasn't for him, if I didn't have him,
I would have I don't even think I would be here, to.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
Be honest, that's actually very sweet and can I don't
want to bring your details of your son into this story,
because that's something I think is something that's very special
that we like to keep private.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
And I mean, look, I.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
Occasionally talk about my children they're a bit older, but
your son.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
Is of how old?
Speaker 1 (24:39):
He's nine?
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Now? Nine? Wow?
Speaker 3 (24:42):
Yeah, Bennington, look at the smile on your face, even
the way you just light up.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Then you know, like it's a beautiful thing, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
He's so beautiful?
Speaker 6 (24:53):
You know what he said to me the other day,
he goes, he goes, what's the happiest time you've ever
had in your childhood? And I was like, look, to
be honest, bear, but I don't really have many good
childhood memories.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
And he's like, I'm really sorry about that, Mum.
Speaker 6 (25:08):
It's like I have so many amazing ones with like
you and Daddy, like that's my ex partner.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
And that was just a big thing for me.
Speaker 6 (25:17):
That was just like wow, like I've done something right
along the way of the life that I've had, and
I've no I always wanted to be a mom because
I always wanted to give my children what I didn't have,
because I could never never put my kids through anything
like that ever.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
One hundred percent. I love that.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
I absolutely love that, and you know, I think that's
what makes us be the best we can be as parents.
And this is not taken away from anybody out there,
any of you wonderful people who I'm listening to Mel's
story today, But I will say I do believe that
those of us that have really had to experience some
(25:58):
of the most terrific times as children and young persons,
we know that it's not what we would ever want
for me growing up and housing Commission in western suburbs
of Sydney.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
The abuse that I endured, the things that I've seen
growing up.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
The moment I could and I went on the run,
mind you, as soon as my older myst was twenty
five now, and the moment his mom was pregnant, I
was just like, right, name changeaball maut he, let's go.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
I was on the run from the coppers and bang
he was born. And I did not want I did everything.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
I could, right or wrong to get the fuck out
of that place of Campbelltown.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Yeah, to find.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
A better place. Originally, Yeah, seldom go there ever, because
I have nothing but terrible memories that I never wanted.
And I went down for a dear brother of mine's
birthday some years ago, and I flew the children down
there and I took him for a.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Drive through Ads and Brabery and.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
They were the areas where I was stumping around and
it was just it is the bronx fathom and what
I what I tell people is nothing had changed in
the thirty years. That's my house that I lived in
the street, that the people there was, even families that
still were there that I knew I've seen and I
look there obviously got noldy, you know, but it's a
(27:14):
generational thing and no one's broken the cycle. And it
was just actually we actually filmed their SBS did a
documentary which is something you might have seen on my
page about what I went through.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
It's called Breaking the Cycle. So we went back there
and we filmed there, and you just it's a vortex.
You've got to get out of there.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
If you want to have a better life, you have
to get out of there.
Speaker 6 (27:38):
Yeah, the cycle just continues if you don't. That's the
unfortunate thing. Not many are willing to break the cycle.
I don't feel like out like the older generation, no disrespect,
are the ones that really struggled with breaking the cycle
for their kids.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
I don't think they understood truly, how like I really
don't like and the things and the effort that you've
got to go through that you sacrifice.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
You know, I guess the comfort zone of.
Speaker 3 (28:06):
Their neighborhood, their their daily routines, you know, and it
is it's just the same ship day in and day out,
and it just gets handed down. You know, you become
such a product of your environment. Breaking the cycle is
the key. And if we can do it and reach
out and help people to do that, I mean, it's
(28:26):
not easy financially, it's not easy emotionally.
Speaker 2 (28:30):
And you obviously know that yourself.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
You went from you know, a life of I guess
just fucking run on a mark, you know, to starting
to get yourself straight and how the hell you got
where you were where you got to and remained and
remained a legitimate, legitimate screw prison officer. That's got me
(28:58):
blown because you're just one of the girls from You're
just you're just one of the girls from the hood, mate,
you know, one of them.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
You're one of them. You're one of them. Cool ah,
But you know what I mean, I could I could legit,
just kick kick back with you.
Speaker 3 (29:13):
You'd be someone I wouldn't even wouldn't even second thought
about hanging out with.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
You know what I mean, you'd be just one of us.
But you're so not one of us. Yes, one that
fucking went against this.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
Well, the morals and the codes went out the window,
and on the blues you went, Hey, couldn't you supported
the greens rather than the Blues?
Speaker 1 (29:39):
I didn't know how bad it was?
Speaker 2 (29:42):
Oh God love you so Mel. You went from.
Speaker 3 (29:46):
This, this life of partying and running a mark and
as I said, you know, you could have well and
truly been that person that you know would have ended
up in her greens and you know, in deep addiction
and crime. Where did that start to straighten out and
your life start to take a different turn?
Speaker 2 (30:04):
You know what was that are like going into your twenties?
Speaker 6 (30:07):
It was when I became a mum, to be honest,
like I had no choice but to pull my head
in like I had to for my kids, well, for
my boy.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
Yeah, that was it. I just I.
Speaker 6 (30:18):
Didn't want to give my my boy a bad childhood.
And I had to go back to work, but I
couldn't get a job.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
So corrections was the only ones who would take.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
Me corrections, So I take anyone. Let's not get into that.
Speaker 3 (30:39):
I mean a lot of them don't even speak English,
So how hard could it be?
Speaker 1 (30:43):
Not hard at all. If a mom who's been out
of work for five years can get it, yes you can.
Speaker 6 (30:51):
It's so true after applying for jobs for nine months,
anyone can get that job. And just let me stay
working with them.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
Anyone can get that job.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Which when you say corrections, what state are we talking about.
Are you're still in Melbourne.
Speaker 3 (31:05):
Or did you come back to Sydney, New South Wales?
So you worked in the New South Wales system.
Speaker 1 (31:09):
I did.
Speaker 6 (31:10):
I worked at Long Bay and I worked at the
Downy Center District Court. But I also worked at a
few courts like Liverpool, Campbelltown, Burward, Paramatta. I mostly did
the courts, but yeah, Long Bay was my only prison
that I did.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
We'll get into that in a minute, because obviously I've
spent a lot of time at Long Bay and I
know all about the different sections of that jail, so
I'm very familiar with Possibly, I'm assuming it was in
the special purpose unit.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
No it wasn't.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
No, it wasn't, so Wing ten Wing wasn't.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
Oh no, no, no special purpose unit is that's that's
a different one.
Speaker 6 (31:57):
No. No, I was working in what we call Area one,
which is like the maximum, and I worked in Area two,
which is more like medium, and then Area three, which
is minimum. So I moved around when I worked there.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
So you okay, So you were basically just for those
that didn't know the bay. You're probably and correct me
for wrong. You're in around about eleven, twelve, thirteen wing doing.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
The remand nine eight seven.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
Nine and seven, well seven were always reception and transit, and.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
You know we're going we're going back.
Speaker 6 (32:31):
My brains, my brain's boggling where VOTP was.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
If anyone knows what that is, that's that's where I was.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
Okay. So you're looking after the bakery.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
Boys, Yes, bakery boys.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
Yes, that changed, didn't it?
Speaker 1 (32:48):
Not the best?
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Not the best? Not the best?
Speaker 6 (32:51):
I think since I think since you've been in and things,
the areas may have changed a lot.
Speaker 3 (32:57):
Yeah, definitely, because you had the ri C, well you
originally had the SIP. I was at the SIP when
I was eighteen, so that just goes to show how
long ago I was there.
Speaker 6 (33:04):
Yeah, a lot of a lot of things would have
changed since then, for sure.
Speaker 3 (33:09):
So you went through the corrections process, you were obviously
accepted as a correctional officer.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
I don't know how.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
Well yeah, well, I mean, look at the end of
the day, it was God's will and that's how you
ended up there. And look, in all honesty, I mean,
if you look at it from a point of view
of a redemption story, there's the start of your redemption.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
You know, like no one can take that away from you.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
And you know, I'm look, not all crims are bad,
not all screws are bad, and I'm not going to
sit here and go on about that, but you know,
you're a mum, You're out there, you're trying to do
your best, and at the time, this was the best
possible opportunity for you to have a future and.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
To set yourself up.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
Yeah, you start to work in and around criminals, people
incarcerat him. Let's talk about that, because that right there,
for somebody who's never really seen that style of.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
Living and that way of life, yeah, it must have
been quite overwhelming. Intimatly. Like I said, I'm not I'm
not being.
Speaker 3 (34:23):
Crude or disrespectful, but you would have probably stood out
a lot more.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
Yeah, because of you know, your your your.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
Attractive looks as a screw, your people would have been
very wanting to chitchat to you. They would have been hey, miss, hey,
miss you know like, I mean, that's.
Speaker 2 (34:38):
Hard, seem worse. I've seen worse. Trust me.
Speaker 6 (34:45):
Everyone always says that, like or did you get hit
on by all the inmates and all this stuff? But
it wasn't really the inmates that were, you know, the
ones to worry about. It was, honestly the officers that
were doing all the like hitting on me and just
being sex pest. I hardly had any issu shoes with
(35:05):
inmates doing that. Like there's been times where you know,
they've been like, oh, I'd love to take you out,
I get not guilty, or you know, a freaking misgive
me a blowd refliction like that, But that's like a
handful of times.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
But it was the officers who, honestly, I.
Speaker 3 (35:23):
Want to know more about this, I'll really do, and
let's talk about it, because no one's ever ever been
on here in one hundred and fifty seven episodes and
being able to and we've had some interesting guests from
all walks of life. Let me tell you in positions
of authority. I've had one gentleman on who was a
part of the dog squad and basically like the MEU
(35:45):
the squad sort of thing, you know, and magic I think, now,
who's yeah, So you know, I got to sort of
give our guests an insight, but we've never had a
real deep insight from a female and what it was
like for you working obviously with other correctional offices. Let's
let's let's talk about that, because that's I've got very
(36:05):
Let's go. The table's yours, mate, and this is your story,
so it's a part of your journey.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
No, it's it's honestly, I say this all the time.
And like you.
Speaker 6 (36:16):
Said, there is some good officers, but working with them
and seeing how they actually are and knowing their personal
life and working with these people every single day, it's
it's not the inmates you got to worry about, because
at the end of the day, you know, if they
don't like you, like, they'll tell you straight up.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
But with officers, it's different.
Speaker 6 (36:40):
It's fake. People are honestly out to get you. The
sexual harassment is insane for officers. On officers, it's disgusting,
it's they're they're like they're cd their sex pest. I've
been in positions where I've been punished professionally for not
(37:02):
taking a liking to, you know, a senior office or
something like that.
Speaker 3 (37:06):
And reprimanded officially reprimanded by your work colleague who's a
senior officer for you not allowing him to.
Speaker 1 (37:16):
I can actually tell you what happened, so.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
Please do it absolutely.
Speaker 6 (37:20):
I found out through a lot of officers that he
was saying, really discussing things about me in the toilets.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
And I was a.
Speaker 6 (37:26):
Casual, so I was a new officer, and he was
known to like whenever new young because there's always the
young girls that are coming in now and they're very,
very vulnerable, and the seniors or any male officers really
are taking advantage of that and using their power to
basically you flirt with them, and if you're not, if
(37:49):
you're not giving in, like, they make your life help.
So I ended up getting told from a few other
officers too, because he tried to take me under his
wing when I first started, and everyone was like, you know,
don't go near him. You know, he's known for this
and it's not a good look. So I started to
stay away from him, and he didn't like that, and
there was he was punishing me a lot through work,
(38:12):
just little things. But then there was one thing he
did where there was a use of force.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
And when use of force upon you, no.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
No no no no no no. So there was a use
of force.
Speaker 2 (38:25):
With an inmates, right, okay, so restrainingmate.
Speaker 3 (38:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (38:29):
Yeah, So when that happens, you've got strip search the
master and it has to be recorded obviously, so.
Speaker 2 (38:35):
We're taking oh yes, it does.
Speaker 1 (38:37):
Yes, So.
Speaker 6 (38:40):
What he did, there was so many male officers around,
and he basically got the camera and he and he's
a senior, and he handed it to me and he goes,
you're going to film this, and I'm like, okay, I
didn't realize what was going on. So I'm following, you know,
the frog marching him to the cell and I'm following him,
(39:02):
and then they start doing the strip search and I'm
holding the camera here and I'm like, wait, I can't
strip it.
Speaker 1 (39:07):
I mean I can't watch a male strip, sir. So
that's illegal, Like you're not allowed, that's correct.
Speaker 6 (39:13):
And that's also really triggering for me too, And and
like he's he's there, he knows I'm filming it. And
like I said, there was so many male offices he
could have asked, but he asked me, and one of
the male officers came tap me on the shoulder and
he's like, you can't film this.
Speaker 1 (39:28):
He's like, just turn the camera off. So I turned
it off.
Speaker 6 (39:31):
And then he found out that happens, and I pulled
him up for basically some of the stuff that he
was doing to me like that was like I went
into the office and I was just like, you.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
Know, you're punishing me this and that, and then he.
Speaker 6 (39:47):
Wanted to do a performance review on me for turning
the camera off, because you're not supposed to do that,
like you obviously everything needs to be recorded correct And
I was like, but I'm I'm a female. I'm not
supposed to be watching that, and he was. I knew
he couldn't do anything, but it was the intimidation, so
and there was many, many things, and it ended up
(40:08):
like he assaulted another officer who I was actually dating
at the time, and.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
It just got swept under the rug.
Speaker 6 (40:18):
They just moved us and basically didn't want to deal
with the case. I had people from the investigations branch
email me and say, you're not the only one to
complain about him, but I've been taken off your case
and I can't do anything about it. And there was
just multiple things like that. Just everything gets swept under
the rug in that job and people don't realize how
(40:39):
much they cover up.
Speaker 3 (40:43):
I'm going to thank you for being so open and
vulnerable at the moment about this, and I know it's
going to ruffle ruffle some feathers, and I frankly don't
give a fuck because I'm going to tell you why.
The ship that we go through is inmates. And look, okay,
the Karen's out there are going to go home, yes,
but you put yourself in jail.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
Yeah, all right, Well, so what you're in jail.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
You're doing your time. Does that mean you need to
be crucified whilst you're in jail? Does that mean you
need to be treated like an animal whilst you're in jail?
The abuse that you endure whilst you're in jail, the
levels that they take things to in excess that are
over and beyond what.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Needs to happen is beyond.
Speaker 3 (41:24):
And we as the inmates at that stage, get told
to put in a bluey and at the end of
the day, you're not going to tell on anyone because
you're not a dog. So therefore, if you were to
write a statement against a cram or whether you write
a statement against a screw, either way, you're a dog.
It's as simple as that. So we live with it. Yeah,
(41:45):
it becomes something that is so common and so regular.
You are somebody whom I want to thank again because
this is the voice that will and needs to be heard.
And I'm proud of you for having the confidence and
the strength to not be fearful to have this conversation
because I know a lot of people wouldn't.
Speaker 6 (42:07):
No, I already know the organization that I'm speaking out against,
but I don't care because it's just the same as
what I do. Like, I'm not going to protect anyone
and I'm not going to be silent about some of
the disgusting stuff that goes.
Speaker 3 (42:21):
On in there. That concludes part one of Brent's chat
with Mel Watson.
Speaker 2 (42:25):
In part two, we hear more about the horror she.
Speaker 3 (42:27):
Witnessed as a prison officer in one of Australia's most
notorious prisons.
Speaker 5 (42:31):
For the record, don't try and make you uncomfortable for
the record. You ain't try and world to any stuff
for your for the record lab or me going all
the way for the record. Ain't trying to link, No
trying to waste stuff for the reged for the record,
for the record, for the regond, for the reged, for
(42:54):
the regged
Approache Production.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Hey guys, Simai here from the Clink.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
While we take a short break over the Christmas period,
We're going to drop a couple of episodes, some of
our favorite of twenty twenty four so you don't miss
out and can continue following the Clink. This episode has
been proudly brought to you by our longtime sponsored supporters
Sideway Surf.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Thank you for all your support.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
This episode of The Clink discusses the sensitive topic of
child abuse, sexual abuse and suicide. It may be triggering
for some listeners. Please take care when listening. The number
four lifeline is thirteen eleven fourteen.
Speaker 5 (00:57):
Photo recket. Don't try and make you out comfortable. Photo
record you to try a world and stuff for your
photo rack lab on me going oh the work fort record,
ain't trying to link, No trying to wish.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Record for.
Speaker 5 (01:16):
Record rate for the ready for a record. Don't try
and make you uncomfortable.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Welcome back to season fourteen of The Clink. Real Stories
of Redemption. Wow, what a season. We've had a massive
shout out the Sideways Serf who always walk beside us
and keep us able to deliver you the.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Best stories of redemption.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
I'm so glad everybody's responses, and if you're not already,
jump over to Instagram to the Clink podcast page. There
are so many messages and I'm grateful to everybody who
continues to thank me for what we deliver and our
guests for their stories of the redemption.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Today's story is very triggering.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
I will say that to start with, it is not
something that we've normally delivered. We will be going dark deep,
and it is a very very powerful story. Our guest
has worked in the absolute depths of some of the
most sickest minds of this country, and it's actually an
honor to have her on. She was as what we
(02:20):
will call a prison officer or commonly known as a
screw to many of you out there who do listen
to the podcast, and no offense to her by saying that,
but I'm sure that she understands where I'm coming from
in layman's terms. Guys, this is a story that I
want to share. It's an informative story and it is
(02:40):
a story of redemption because our guest has had her
own walk of life and is a survivor herself. Today,
i'd love to introduce you to Mel Watson. Mel welcome
to the clink. This is super super like. I'm actually
very excited today to have you here with me and
(03:01):
for us to share with the world what I believe
will be already like no other.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
And wow, what a life so far that you've lived.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
I'm excited to be here and thank you so much
for having me.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
You are a survivor yourself of sexual abuse. Is that correct? Yes,
that's right, and you definitely have walked the path a
fine line when it comes to drugs and trialing the
different things in life that we often do, and many
of us get caught up in and end up in
(03:35):
some serious addiction which then later leads us into jails.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
You yourself were in jail.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
But managed to be on the other side of the fence,
so to speak.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
You were the key holder.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
On the wrong side.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
I say, well, the wrong side may be, but for
today and for what we'll get into in your story,
I must say it has worked out to be the
most perfect side because what you do today and I
cannot wait to share your story is phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
And the way that you're out there and you know,
you really.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Are standing up for survivors, and you yourself have so
much factual input to what it is like to work
around pedophiles, scum of the earth, sexual predators that destroy
the lives of people, take their innocence. It is the
most as far as I'm concerned, horrific crimes. I don't
(04:35):
care what anyone says. You cannot convince me, especially as
a survivor myself. Enough about me, let's talk about you.
Let's go back to what it was like growing up.
Speaker 6 (04:47):
I grew up in a domestic violence household. There was
a lot of family violence. My parents were very toxic.
My brother and I were born straight into that, so
we never actually got, you know, the happy childhood that
you would expect to have, and we would have police
at our house, would go outside after huge fights on
(05:09):
the whole street would be watching. And I was, unfortunately
in that environment where there was so much neglect because.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
My parents were either well my mum.
Speaker 6 (05:21):
Was heavily addicted to prescription pills, so she was always
asleep and my dad was always at work, so when
they would come back together, it was just chaos fighting,
and unfortunately that resulted in sexual abuse. So at the
age of four, I was sexually abused by a family
(05:42):
member and also a next door neighbor. And it's no
disrespect to my parents, but I do put it down
to that environment being unsupervised and you know, not watching
us and not focusing on us. And then I missed
out on a lot of school. When I did go
to school, I couldn't interact with kids.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
I was very I guess I was in a.
Speaker 6 (06:06):
Way a bully like I was just a very angry child,
and I struggled to get along with children, and I
struggled to have friends, and people didn't understand me. And
then when I got to the age of eight to ten,
I think it was between those ages, I was sexually
abused at a public pool by an old man, so
(06:26):
he was swimming underwater, he had goggles on and sexually
abused me in a very busy pool, where I ended
up telling the lifeguard and my stepmom at the time,
but unfortunately he had left. So there was that, and
then there was my parents after they separated. There was
a lot of alienation. I had to pick a side.
(06:50):
There was manipulation. I was going to school and you know,
saying really nasty things about the other parent to my
teachers because that's what was put into my head, and
then I got to high school and all the hormone
uans and all the trauma coming out, and I just
started turning to drugs.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
I was partying. I was very, very rebellious. I was
up to no good. I was running away, coming home
late at night, fighting with my parents.
Speaker 6 (07:22):
And at that age, I think age of fifteen, I
got groomed by my dad's best friend.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
So he knew a lot about what happened to me.
Speaker 6 (07:32):
I disclosed a lot of my life to him as
a child, and he unfortunately took that upon him to
target me because I was so vulnerable, and it turned
into a sexual relationship, which came out when I was eighteen,
and that's when I became suicidal.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
So can I just slow that down for a little bit. Yeah,
And to no disrespect of this story, I just wanted
to just break it down a little bit more for
our listeners. So you're thirteen being groomed by an adult
man this sexual relationship. Did you call it a relationship?
(08:11):
So was it something that you just accepted.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
That that was the norm at that time?
Speaker 1 (08:17):
It was something I called it a relationship.
Speaker 6 (08:21):
I thought I was in love and actually, up until
the age of twenty seven, I was telling people that
I regret having an affair when I was because he
was married with kids. So I was telling people like,
I had an affair and when I was fifteen years
old with a man who was in his thirties and
he was also my dad's best friend and he was
(08:41):
also my boss.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
So was this more do you think like a And
please don't once again, I'm not trying to be offensive here.
I would really like to get deep into this because
it's yeah, there is so much around these sexual predators,
and that's all I'm going to refer to them. As
(09:03):
you know, you're a young woman, and you're a very
attractive young woman. I'm sure that you were. You were
gorgeous when you were younger. This man obviously knew you
were extremely vulnerable, knowing the family, knowing you have confined
in him.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Did you.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Feel I guess at that stage that this was more
just a comfort thing, a protection thing, him being there.
Was it something like that in reference to you just
having that male there to know that you are okay even.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Though it was wrong.
Speaker 6 (09:36):
Yeah, I think because there was just no love in
my childhood, I think that's always what I was searching
for as I got older.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
And I just wanted to say, it's my point.
Speaker 6 (09:48):
You know, this person was showing me love and showing
me something that not even my parents were.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Giving to me.
Speaker 6 (09:54):
So it was just so hard to realize how wrong
I was, especially at that age and with everything that
was going on.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
You know, I guess as a survivor, must I do
totally one understand the mindset and mentality of these sick people. Yeah,
and I'm sure that our listeners out there who are survivors,
and please, if you are, do take very good care
of yourself after this, and if it is true, then
please reach out and we will leave some information at
(10:24):
the end of this for you.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Now.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
I I'm feeling a little bit emotional listening to your
story already because I'm visualizing. I'm starting to get a
picture of this broken young woman, this broken young girl
you weren't even a woman at thirteen, Yeah, not at all,
you know, seeking the love that she didn't have, seeking
that protection that male I guess comfort.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
You know that I have a daughter myself who's sixteen.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
You know, she lays down with me and watches TV
and comes in and gives me a cuddle and a snug.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Dad can I and that's me is just so heart feeling,
you know, for her.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
Just that's what she needs, that's what she wants in seventeen,
she just wants.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
To be held by and loved her dad. You didn't
receive that, but you deserved that.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
Yeah, this man obviously was trying to replicate that, but
then taking things well and truly out of context. And
I'm sure that he's very conscious of this. Did this
come out to his wife?
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Yes, So.
Speaker 6 (11:28):
He actually had photos of me that he had linked
to his wife's like eye cloud, so that had popped
up on her phone and that's what she had found.
But I still hadn't told anyone, and he hadn't told
(11:49):
anyone who was like he hadn't told his wife or
it was. But I ended up telling my dad and
it pretty much just all came back in my face.
I got victim blamed very badly also by.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
How fucked is that? I never I'll never forget that
I got back handed. The moment I said I was
being raped by my nigh was two brothers who lived
basically men raping me and I tried to expose them
and I was told, you're fucking liar. I'm backhanded, in front,
in front of in front of their uncle who my
(12:27):
father drank alcohol with, like well what the fuck? And
I'm a boy and you know you're a young woman,
And it basically is the same thing.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
It's the second thing. It's so common. I hear it
from so many people.
Speaker 6 (12:40):
It's you know, they come out and then they're the
ones in trouble for it, or they're the ones who
are getting the blame for it.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
And it's like.
Speaker 6 (12:47):
These are children, these are like even teenagers are children
and miners.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
You know, the brain, our brains are not.
Speaker 6 (12:53):
Fully developed, and it should only lie on the person
who did it, or the blame and the shame and
everything else should lie on them. It's just one thing
that I I copped it so bad. I ended up,
honestly like hiding away from where I grew up.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
I hid away from everyone.
Speaker 6 (13:13):
I had all my social media just like lockdown, nobody
could add me. And I really talk like that really
fucked me up. The victim blaming was honestly worse the thing.
That's the event itself. Yeah, yeah, made me suicidal at eighteen.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
He got me fuck me.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
I actually don't really get emotionally.
Speaker 6 (13:42):
I.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
No and I'm gonna be honest with you. I knew
this was going to be.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
I knew this was going to be a solid one,
and I knew that.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
That it's going to be quite rattling, you know.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
And I think about where we're going to go with
this conversation and what you worked around seeing.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Far out.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
I'm having a bit of a moment myself, because, as
I said in the start, this is going to be
triggering for many.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Yeah it's triggering me right now. So apologies, but.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
This is the clink, and this is real stories of redemption,
and this is about real people sharing real stories. And
I want to say to you, I I'm sorry you
went through that, and I know that you know that
doesn't change anything, and we both understand.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Yeah, the realities of living with the traumas of abuse,
but let's continue. Aideen. You become suicidal.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Yeah, I was suicidal.
Speaker 6 (14:51):
I was just like looking back on my life and
I was just like fuck this, Like what is there
for me?
Speaker 1 (14:59):
I didn't feel like I belonged. Everyone turned on me,
My own dad turned on me, and I just I
was ready to go.
Speaker 6 (15:10):
And it was my mum actually who she flew me
down to Melbourne. She was from Victoria and she basically
was trying to get me back on track, like get
me out of that really dark place I was in.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
And there was.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Like using a lot of drugs at that time. Now,
was it something that you.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Were sort of that was your way of facing the
world and of drugs if you don't mind what we're
using and what was your habit, you know what was
your thing?
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Weed was definitely my thing.
Speaker 6 (15:44):
I was smoking a lot of that, but I was
also doing a lot of pills that was like my
party drug, and drinking, like drinking heavily, and I was
mixing all of that together, and I guess that that
also was bringing me down as well. I was turning
(16:05):
to all these little escapes. But in the end, it
was like once I was coming out of it, like
for example, I'd have pills and then the next day
I was like on the calmdown, and that's when I
was feeling the worst, like just oppressed and you know,
fuck this and I don't want to do this anymore.
And yeah, I just got to that point where I
(16:27):
was just I was honestly, I had it made up
in my mind that I was I was going and yeah,
I have my mom to think because if it wasn't
for her and her supporting me through that, being the
only person who supported me through that, I wouldn't have
been you.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
No way.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
I'm not going to ask you how because as far
as I'm concerned, and I've done a lot of work
around suicidality and our language around.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Speaking of.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
People taking their lives, and I don't feel that we
need to discuss.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
How things happen and what took place. But I would
like to ask.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
You know that moment happened, you survived, How did you survive?
And from there where did things go?
Speaker 1 (17:20):
I'm just going to tell you I was trying to overdose.
Speaker 6 (17:24):
And I messaged my mom and I was just basically
telling her like I'm going to kill myself. And that's
when she was just like please, just I will fly
you down to Melbourne the next day. Just come down here,
let me let me help you. And I was just
like no, like I didn't even want her help. I
(17:45):
was just like, no, I've made up my mind, like
I'm this is what I'm doing. And it was that
conversation with her, I guess where I was just like,
you know, what have I got to lose like I
can always do this, And at that moment, I really
wanted to see my mom as well. Just hearing in
her voice and everything. I think that was what pulled
(18:07):
me out of it. And yeah, I flew down with her,
and basically she didn't really she didn't really fix me,
because I just came back even worse. But she stopped
me and she gave me a chance to get better.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Amen to that.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
That's all I'm going to say, because you know your
journey is an amazing one, and you know that for
our listeners that you've really got to hang into this
story because it gets it gets crazy and wow, wow,
(18:47):
wow wow, and hence me wanting to have you on
here to share that. You know, we're about to hit
three million downloads and I want every one of those
persons to hear your story. And I know it's going
to resonate. I know we're going to help people. I
know that you're going to be able to have your voice,
you know. And it makes me so proud to have
(19:07):
a platform that I can do this on and give people,
wonderful people like yourself this opportunity to be able to
you know, share this terrible and horrific traumatic start to
your life, but far out.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Man, Wow, what a road that it went after.
Speaker 6 (19:27):
This is weird when it's so weird, like saying it
out loud, because I've been so silent about my life,
like I've never really I've never had a voice, if
that makes sense. So I'm still very vulnerable, Like sharing
my story, it's still very like gives me anxiety, but
it needs, like I need to talk about it because
(19:49):
I know that it will resonate with others, and I
know that it will help others find their voice. And
that's that's something that I want everyone to have, is
a voice.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
You connected back with mum.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Yeah, had Mum known at this point the real depth
of your trauma and abuse or.
Speaker 6 (20:06):
My parents have always believed me with all of my
sexual abuse, but I was blamed for the one at fifteen.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
So basically it was your choice.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
You chose to allow that to occur, in those actions
to take place, and being that relationship with that married me.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Yes, that's correct.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
What happened once you got back in contact with mum
and moving forward from the attempt.
Speaker 6 (20:36):
So I went to Victoria for a little bit, for
maybe a couple of weeks, maybe a little longer. I
came back to Sydney and then I just continued what
I was doing, partying, drinking, snorting coke.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
That was my thing when I came back. And then.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
I think I shouldn't laugh, and look, please, it's not
funny because there are people out there that you know.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
No, no, why why do we all love the coke?
Speaker 3 (21:09):
I mean, it's just something the I'm addicted to coke
zero these days. I don't snort it, but I definitely
drink it out of a glass bottle.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
Now you know what it was.
Speaker 6 (21:17):
I don't know why, but everywhere I would go, like
to a night club or something, I would go into
the bathrooms make friends with a girl and she would
ask me if I wanted to, you know, have rack
up some lines in the cubicle, and what.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
The fuck is wrong with us? Like, I don't know
how many times people do that? And you see them
just on a filthy, disgusting, fucking toilet, sit there and
tip a bag out, rail it up and then everyone's
just snorting like what now that fuck? It is the
most beutred. But we've all been there when we're young.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Oh my goodness, Like there's no no, elegance is there
around it.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
It's just get it in there and have a good
time on the.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
Top of the toilet bowl gym.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Oh wow wow.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
And we didn't have phones so much back then, and
I mean, well I didn't. And anyway, I don't know
about your generation because you're a little bit younger, but yeah,
far out you know, wow, the old I don't come
in handy didn't it over the year?
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Is the key? Hard? Well there you go.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
So and look, we're not inspiring people out there or
to go into any queue because of any nightclub and
snort coke because not at all.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Please don't. It is shit, literally shit.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Especially now coke is definitely not coke anymore. So just
don't even risk.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
No, it's not.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
And the world is a different place to what it
was many years ago. You know, that style of life
becomes very routine, and you know, like it is. It's
such a smoke screen way of living because you know,
all you're doing is suppressing the truth and the cold
hard emotions of what you're living with.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
You know, that's exactly what I was doing.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
How was for you Mail?
Speaker 3 (23:06):
When the reality kicked back in during the week, you know,
and Mel had to really face you know, the facts
of what was going on in your life.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
Talk to us about that.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
I wasn't facing I wasn't facing anything. No, no, no,
I was.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
So you were wearing this mark.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
I was escaping everything.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
Oh.
Speaker 6 (23:23):
I didn't want to face it. I didn't want to
think about it. I was just going out all the time,
smoking weed all the time. And it got to the
point where I went out one night and this was
This was probably not that long after I came back
from Melbourne. I went out and I met a guy,
and three months later I ended up pregnant at I
(23:45):
was pregnant at eighteen, and.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
That was hard because I ended up getting.
Speaker 6 (23:51):
Personatal depression with my boy and I had to have
a nurse come to my house for a year to
help me look after him because I was just I
hadn't I just jumped from being suicidal and then I'm
a mum, do you know what I mean? With someone
that I barely know.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
So that was But you know, my boy saved my life.
Speaker 6 (24:14):
If it wasn't for him, if I didn't have him,
I would have I don't even think I would be here, to.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
Be honest, that's actually very sweet and can I don't
want to bring your details of your son into this story,
because that's something I think is something that's very special
that we like to keep private.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
And I mean, look, I.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
Occasionally talk about my children they're a bit older, but
your son.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
Is of how old?
Speaker 1 (24:39):
He's nine?
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Now? Nine? Wow?
Speaker 3 (24:42):
Yeah, Bennington, look at the smile on your face, even
the way you just light up.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Then you know, like it's a beautiful thing, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
He's so beautiful?
Speaker 6 (24:53):
You know what he said to me the other day,
he goes, he goes, what's the happiest time you've ever
had in your childhood? And I was like, look, to
be honest, bear, but I don't really have many good
childhood memories.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
And he's like, I'm really sorry about that, Mum.
Speaker 6 (25:08):
It's like I have so many amazing ones with like
you and Daddy, like that's my ex partner.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
And that was just a big thing for me.
Speaker 6 (25:17):
That was just like wow, like I've done something right
along the way of the life that I've had, and
I've no I always wanted to be a mom because
I always wanted to give my children what I didn't have,
because I could never never put my kids through anything
like that ever.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
One hundred percent. I love that.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
I absolutely love that, and you know, I think that's
what makes us be the best we can be as parents.
And this is not taken away from anybody out there,
any of you wonderful people who I'm listening to Mel's
story today, But I will say I do believe that
those of us that have really had to experience some
(25:58):
of the most terrific times as children and young persons,
we know that it's not what we would ever want
for me growing up and housing Commission in western suburbs
of Sydney.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
The abuse that I endured, the things that I've seen
growing up.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
The moment I could and I went on the run,
mind you, as soon as my older myst was twenty
five now, and the moment his mom was pregnant, I
was just like, right, name changeaball maut he, let's go.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
I was on the run from the coppers and bang
he was born. And I did not want I did everything.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
I could, right or wrong to get the fuck out
of that place of Campbelltown.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Yeah, to find.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
A better place. Originally, Yeah, seldom go there ever, because
I have nothing but terrible memories that I never wanted.
And I went down for a dear brother of mine's
birthday some years ago, and I flew the children down
there and I took him for a.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Drive through Ads and Brabery and.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
They were the areas where I was stumping around and
it was just it is the bronx fathom and what
I what I tell people is nothing had changed in
the thirty years. That's my house that I lived in
the street, that the people there was, even families that
still were there that I knew I've seen and I
look there obviously got noldy, you know, but it's a
(27:14):
generational thing and no one's broken the cycle. And it
was just actually we actually filmed their SBS did a
documentary which is something you might have seen on my
page about what I went through.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
It's called Breaking the Cycle. So we went back there
and we filmed there, and you just it's a vortex.
You've got to get out of there.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
If you want to have a better life, you have
to get out of there.
Speaker 6 (27:38):
Yeah, the cycle just continues if you don't. That's the
unfortunate thing. Not many are willing to break the cycle.
I don't feel like out like the older generation, no disrespect,
are the ones that really struggled with breaking the cycle
for their kids.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
I don't think they understood truly, how like I really
don't like and the things and the effort that you've
got to go through that you sacrifice.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
You know, I guess the comfort zone of.
Speaker 3 (28:06):
Their neighborhood, their their daily routines, you know, and it
is it's just the same ship day in and day out,
and it just gets handed down. You know, you become
such a product of your environment. Breaking the cycle is
the key. And if we can do it and reach
out and help people to do that, I mean, it's
(28:26):
not easy financially, it's not easy emotionally.
Speaker 2 (28:30):
And you obviously know that yourself.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
You went from you know, a life of I guess
just fucking run on a mark, you know, to starting
to get yourself straight and how the hell you got
where you were where you got to and remained and
remained a legitimate, legitimate screw prison officer. That's got me
(28:58):
blown because you're just one of the girls from You're
just you're just one of the girls from the hood, mate,
you know, one of them.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
You're one of them. You're one of them. Cool ah,
But you know what I mean, I could I could legit,
just kick kick back with you.
Speaker 3 (29:13):
You'd be someone I wouldn't even wouldn't even second thought
about hanging out with.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
You know what I mean, you'd be just one of us.
But you're so not one of us. Yes, one that
fucking went against this.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
Well, the morals and the codes went out the window,
and on the blues you went, Hey, couldn't you supported
the greens rather than the Blues?
Speaker 1 (29:39):
I didn't know how bad it was?
Speaker 2 (29:42):
Oh God love you so Mel. You went from.
Speaker 3 (29:46):
This, this life of partying and running a mark and
as I said, you know, you could have well and
truly been that person that you know would have ended
up in her greens and you know, in deep addiction
and crime. Where did that start to straighten out and
your life start to take a different turn?
Speaker 2 (30:04):
You know what was that are like going into your twenties?
Speaker 6 (30:07):
It was when I became a mum, to be honest,
like I had no choice but to pull my head
in like I had to for my kids, well, for
my boy.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
Yeah, that was it. I just I.
Speaker 6 (30:18):
Didn't want to give my my boy a bad childhood.
And I had to go back to work, but I
couldn't get a job.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
So corrections was the only ones who would take.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
Me corrections, So I take anyone. Let's not get into that.
Speaker 3 (30:39):
I mean a lot of them don't even speak English,
So how hard could it be?
Speaker 1 (30:43):
Not hard at all. If a mom who's been out
of work for five years can get it, yes you can.
Speaker 6 (30:51):
It's so true after applying for jobs for nine months,
anyone can get that job. And just let me stay
working with them.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
Anyone can get that job.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Which when you say corrections, what state are we talking about.
Are you're still in Melbourne.
Speaker 3 (31:05):
Or did you come back to Sydney, New South Wales?
So you worked in the New South Wales system.
Speaker 1 (31:09):
I did.
Speaker 6 (31:10):
I worked at Long Bay and I worked at the
Downy Center District Court. But I also worked at a
few courts like Liverpool, Campbelltown, Burward, Paramatta. I mostly did
the courts, but yeah, Long Bay was my only prison
that I did.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
We'll get into that in a minute, because obviously I've
spent a lot of time at Long Bay and I
know all about the different sections of that jail, so
I'm very familiar with Possibly, I'm assuming it was in
the special purpose unit.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
No it wasn't.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
No, it wasn't, so Wing ten Wing wasn't.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
Oh no, no, no special purpose unit is that's that's
a different one.
Speaker 6 (31:57):
No. No, I was working in what we call Area one,
which is like the maximum, and I worked in Area two,
which is more like medium, and then Area three, which
is minimum. So I moved around when I worked there.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
So you okay, So you were basically just for those
that didn't know the bay. You're probably and correct me
for wrong. You're in around about eleven, twelve, thirteen wing doing.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
The remand nine eight seven.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
Nine and seven, well seven were always reception and transit, and.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
You know we're going we're going back.
Speaker 6 (32:31):
My brains, my brain's boggling where VOTP was.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
If anyone knows what that is, that's that's where I was.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
Okay. So you're looking after the bakery.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
Boys, Yes, bakery boys.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
Yes, that changed, didn't it?
Speaker 1 (32:48):
Not the best?
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Not the best? Not the best?
Speaker 6 (32:51):
I think since I think since you've been in and things,
the areas may have changed a lot.
Speaker 3 (32:57):
Yeah, definitely, because you had the ri C, well you
originally had the SIP. I was at the SIP when
I was eighteen, so that just goes to show how
long ago I was there.
Speaker 6 (33:04):
Yeah, a lot of a lot of things would have
changed since then, for sure.
Speaker 3 (33:09):
So you went through the corrections process, you were obviously
accepted as a correctional officer.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
I don't know how.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
Well yeah, well, I mean, look at the end of
the day, it was God's will and that's how you
ended up there. And look, in all honesty, I mean,
if you look at it from a point of view
of a redemption story, there's the start of your redemption.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
You know, like no one can take that away from you.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
And you know, I'm look, not all crims are bad,
not all screws are bad, and I'm not going to
sit here and go on about that, but you know,
you're a mum, You're out there, you're trying to do
your best, and at the time, this was the best
possible opportunity for you to have a future and.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
To set yourself up.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
Yeah, you start to work in and around criminals, people
incarcerat him. Let's talk about that, because that right there,
for somebody who's never really seen that style of.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
Living and that way of life, yeah, it must have
been quite overwhelming. Intimatly. Like I said, I'm not I'm
not being.
Speaker 3 (34:23):
Crude or disrespectful, but you would have probably stood out
a lot more.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
Yeah, because of you know, your your your.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
Attractive looks as a screw, your people would have been
very wanting to chitchat to you. They would have been hey, miss, hey,
miss you know like, I mean, that's.
Speaker 2 (34:38):
Hard, seem worse. I've seen worse. Trust me.
Speaker 6 (34:45):
Everyone always says that, like or did you get hit
on by all the inmates and all this stuff? But
it wasn't really the inmates that were, you know, the
ones to worry about. It was, honestly the officers that
were doing all the like hitting on me and just
being sex pest. I hardly had any issu shoes with
(35:05):
inmates doing that. Like there's been times where you know,
they've been like, oh, I'd love to take you out,
I get not guilty, or you know, a freaking misgive
me a blowd refliction like that, But that's like a
handful of times.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
But it was the officers who, honestly, I.
Speaker 3 (35:23):
Want to know more about this, I'll really do, and
let's talk about it, because no one's ever ever been
on here in one hundred and fifty seven episodes and
being able to and we've had some interesting guests from
all walks of life. Let me tell you in positions
of authority. I've had one gentleman on who was a
part of the dog squad and basically like the MEU
(35:45):
the squad sort of thing, you know, and magic I think, now,
who's yeah, So you know, I got to sort of
give our guests an insight, but we've never had a
real deep insight from a female and what it was
like for you working obviously with other correctional offices. Let's
let's let's talk about that, because that's I've got very
(36:05):
Let's go. The table's yours, mate, and this is your story,
so it's a part of your journey.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
No, it's it's honestly, I say this all the time.
And like you.
Speaker 6 (36:16):
Said, there is some good officers, but working with them
and seeing how they actually are and knowing their personal
life and working with these people every single day, it's
it's not the inmates you got to worry about, because
at the end of the day, you know, if they
don't like you, like, they'll tell you straight up.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
But with officers, it's different.
Speaker 6 (36:40):
It's fake. People are honestly out to get you. The
sexual harassment is insane for officers. On officers, it's disgusting,
it's they're they're like they're cd their sex pest. I've
been in positions where I've been punished professionally for not
(37:02):
taking a liking to, you know, a senior office or
something like that.
Speaker 3 (37:06):
And reprimanded officially reprimanded by your work colleague who's a
senior officer for you not allowing him to.
Speaker 1 (37:16):
I can actually tell you what happened, so.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
Please do it absolutely.
Speaker 6 (37:20):
I found out through a lot of officers that he
was saying, really discussing things about me in the toilets.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
And I was a.
Speaker 6 (37:26):
Casual, so I was a new officer, and he was
known to like whenever new young because there's always the
young girls that are coming in now and they're very,
very vulnerable, and the seniors or any male officers really
are taking advantage of that and using their power to
basically you flirt with them, and if you're not, if
(37:49):
you're not giving in, like, they make your life help.
So I ended up getting told from a few other
officers too, because he tried to take me under his
wing when I first started, and everyone was like, you know,
don't go near him. You know, he's known for this
and it's not a good look. So I started to
stay away from him, and he didn't like that, and
there was he was punishing me a lot through work,
(38:12):
just little things. But then there was one thing he
did where there was a use of force.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
And when use of force upon you, no.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
No no no no no no. So there was a use
of force.
Speaker 2 (38:25):
With an inmates, right, okay, so restrainingmate.
Speaker 3 (38:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (38:29):
Yeah, So when that happens, you've got strip search the
master and it has to be recorded obviously, so.
Speaker 2 (38:35):
We're taking oh yes, it does.
Speaker 1 (38:37):
Yes, So.
Speaker 6 (38:40):
What he did, there was so many male officers around,
and he basically got the camera and he and he's
a senior, and he handed it to me and he goes,
you're going to film this, and I'm like, okay, I
didn't realize what was going on. So I'm following, you know,
the frog marching him to the cell and I'm following him,
(39:02):
and then they start doing the strip search and I'm
holding the camera here and I'm like, wait, I can't
strip it.
Speaker 1 (39:07):
I mean I can't watch a male strip, sir. So
that's illegal, Like you're not allowed, that's correct.
Speaker 6 (39:13):
And that's also really triggering for me too, And and
like he's he's there, he knows I'm filming it. And
like I said, there was so many male offices he
could have asked, but he asked me, and one of
the male officers came tap me on the shoulder and
he's like, you can't film this.
Speaker 1 (39:28):
He's like, just turn the camera off. So I turned
it off.
Speaker 6 (39:31):
And then he found out that happens, and I pulled
him up for basically some of the stuff that he
was doing to me like that was like I went
into the office and I was just like, you.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
Know, you're punishing me this and that, and then he.
Speaker 6 (39:47):
Wanted to do a performance review on me for turning
the camera off, because you're not supposed to do that,
like you obviously everything needs to be recorded correct And
I was like, but I'm I'm a female. I'm not
supposed to be watching that, and he was. I knew
he couldn't do anything, but it was the intimidation, so
and there was many, many things, and it ended up
(40:08):
like he assaulted another officer who I was actually dating
at the time, and.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
It just got swept under the rug.
Speaker 6 (40:18):
They just moved us and basically didn't want to deal
with the case. I had people from the investigations branch
email me and say, you're not the only one to
complain about him, but I've been taken off your case
and I can't do anything about it. And there was
just multiple things like that. Just everything gets swept under
the rug in that job and people don't realize how
(40:39):
much they cover up.
Speaker 3 (40:43):
I'm going to thank you for being so open and
vulnerable at the moment about this, and I know it's
going to ruffle ruffle some feathers, and I frankly don't
give a fuck because I'm going to tell you why.
The ship that we go through is inmates. And look, okay,
the Karen's out there are going to go home, yes,
but you put yourself in jail.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
Yeah, all right, Well, so what you're in jail.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
You're doing your time. Does that mean you need to
be crucified whilst you're in jail? Does that mean you
need to be treated like an animal whilst you're in jail?
The abuse that you endure whilst you're in jail, the
levels that they take things to in excess that are
over and beyond what.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Needs to happen is beyond.
Speaker 3 (41:24):
And we as the inmates at that stage, get told
to put in a bluey and at the end of
the day, you're not going to tell on anyone because
you're not a dog. So therefore, if you were to
write a statement against a cram or whether you write
a statement against a screw, either way, you're a dog.
It's as simple as that. So we live with it. Yeah,
(41:45):
it becomes something that is so common and so regular.
You are somebody whom I want to thank again because
this is the voice that will and needs to be heard.
And I'm proud of you for having the confidence and
the strength to not be fearful to have this conversation
because I know a lot of people wouldn't.
Speaker 6 (42:07):
No, I already know the organization that I'm speaking out against,
but I don't care because it's just the same as
what I do. Like, I'm not going to protect anyone
and I'm not going to be silent about some of
the disgusting stuff that goes.
Speaker 3 (42:21):
On in there. That concludes part one of Brent's chat
with Mel Watson.
Speaker 2 (42:25):
In part two, we hear more about the horror she.
Speaker 3 (42:27):
Witnessed as a prison officer in one of Australia's most
notorious prisons.
Speaker 5 (42:31):
For the record, don't try and make you uncomfortable for
the record. You ain't try and world to any stuff
for your for the record lab or me going all
the way for the record. Ain't trying to link, No
trying to waste stuff for the reged for the record,
for the record, for the regond, for the reged, for
(42:54):
the regged
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