‘It was no picnic,’ says Hinch after 50 days in prison
AUSTRALIA
A SHAVED and shaken Derryn Hinch has emerged from prison after spending 50 nights locked up for failing to pay a fine incurred after breaching a suppression order about Melbourne woman Jill Meagher’s killer.
The Seven Network personality was released from Langi Kal Kal jail in Trawalla, about 150km north-west of Melbourne, just after 8am yesterday.
In January, he was ordered to pay the A$100,000 (NZ$107,000) contempt of court fine – or face 50 days in jail – with the broadcaster opting to do the time, saying his decision was based "on principle".
On his last full day in prison, a post from Hinch’s Twitter read: ‘‘Feels like something out of Les Mis. One More Day! Prisoner 44146’’. Talking to Channel Seven’s Sunrise outside jail, Hinch, 70, said he was, ‘‘a bit emotional, a bit shaken’’.
Asked if he was harassed by other prisoners, Hinch said, ‘‘for the first few days, because I had shaved the beard, nobody really knew who I was’’.
‘‘But, yeah, the guards and other guys treated me pretty well but it was no picnic,’’ he said. ‘‘You are talking strip searches, bend over, the whole lot.
‘‘And to wake up on your 70th birthday and have a guard saying happy birthday, it was tough.’’
Hinch served much of his sentence in 23-hour lockdown in maximum security, in accordance with his wishes after he said he was worried for his safety and health.
Hinch said he spent his time working on his campaign, Protect Our Children, that calls for a public sex offenders register.
The former radio star said that in Australia ‘‘the rights of convicted sex offenders seem to take precedence over victims’ rights’’.
‘‘Especially with paedophiles,’’ Hinch said. ‘‘Serial sex offenders have their names, photos and addresses, suppressed by the courts on release.
‘‘Unlike Megan’s Law in the United States, communities have no knowledge as to who they are or where they are. A public register is a right and a national duty that is long overdue.’’
The petition has attracted more than 42,600 signatures to date.
‘‘I feel justified [for choosing to go to prison],’’ he said. ‘‘I’ve come out of a place [where] 93 per cent are sex offenders. I know what these men look like, but when they come out you won’t.’’
Hinch said he was now living on ‘‘bonus time’’ which he would devote to making sure the sex offenders register came to fruition.