Rodger
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
A few years ago a court sent Rodger to prison.
‘I was stupid enough to do some things,’ Rodger told the Royal Commission. ‘I will wear that for the rest of my life … but to then further punish my family in the way that they were treated because of that, I found that to be completely unacceptable.’
Rodger’s former partner is Deaf, but Rodger and his young child can hear.
Rodger said the prison allowed him only verbal phone calls, which effectively stopped him communicating with his child.
‘I can’t pick up the phone and call [their mother] … because she is profoundly deaf.’
Rodger said when he complained prison staff labelled him a ‘troublemaker’.
‘If you care so much about championing the cause of the people with disability then why don’t you go … [to] where they reside within the prison?’ they said to him.
Rodger jumped at the opportunity, and prison staff moved him to the area where prisoners with mainly ‘cognitive disabilities, learning disorders’ were segregated.
Rodger said there were ‘no disability support workers at all’ in the prison.
Rodger was able to help one Deaf prisoner communicate with prison officers.
‘When he became aware that I was able to communicate using Auslan, every time he would see me he would want to come and have a chat and talk to me about what’s going on and all that. Which I embrace because I can speak his language.’
Rodger helped another prisoner who had an intellectual disability.
‘Instead of getting upset and frustrated and threatening to punch an officer or getting into a verbal altercation with another prisoner, he can come and talk to me about the best ways he can handle those sorts of things without going down that path.’
The prison eventually let Rodger advocate for prisoners with disability. Rodger said the incidents of assault and self-harming in that part of the prison fell from more than one a month to none.
‘I had guys … in tears on the day that I moved [out].’
Rodger said the prison lets outside healthcare workers in to support sick prisoners, but won’t let support workers in to help prisoners with disability.
‘There was only a benefit for them by prisoners being more comfortable and coming to me to explain what their issues were instead of having to go through a system that they were intimidated by.’
Rodger told the Royal Commission that better supporting prisoners with disability will prevent many of them reoffending.
‘The idea with prison is to try and provide a rehabilitative environment to turn these people around. Today’s prisoner is tomorrow’s neighbour.’
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.