CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
A bright, sunny day. High metal fences, topped with barbed wire, surround an exercise yard at a minimum security prison.
A female prison officer asks her male colleague, “You watch the footy last night?” He sighs, saying, “I was working.” They are both watching as two inmates argue, the largest with his back to the officers. The female officer marches towards them, ordering, “Hey! Cut it out! What’s going on?” The fight gets heated. The male officer spies a lawn mower, sitting unattended in the middle of the yard. He calls out to a bearded inmate sitting against a fence by a pair of brooms, “Harry!” Harry looks up at him, as the officer continues, “What do you think you’re doing?” Harry replies, “Waiting.” The officer barks, “Well you’re done waiting, get back to work!” Harry blinks and stands, saying, “Alright.” He walks away from the direction of the lawn mower. The officer calls out, “Where are you going? You’re on mowing!” Harry pauses, looking at him. The officer motions with his head. “This way.” Harry glances over, then says “Yeah I know. I know.” He walks towards the mower, as the female officer returns to the male officer, saying, “Yeah, watch him. He’s pushing it.” She walks away, as the male officer watches Harry.
An accommodation block, single storey, surrounded by gum trees. In a small cell Harry sits on a bed, looking upset, as another inmate talks in the hall outside, “I’ve got to get in, I’ve got to get in!” The female officer replies, “Calm down, just settle down.” The male officer marches down a corridor towards the female officer and the inmate, who insists, “It’s not his room anymore.” The female officer responds, “I don’t care, you don’t touch him.” She looks up at the male officer, who glances into the room to say to Harry, “Harry, back in your own room.” Harry replies, “This is my room!” The female officer argues with the inmate as the officer says, “You moved, remember? Come on, get out of there!” Harry looks confused, then stands and walks out, saying, “What does he want my room for?” As he passes, the officer says, “Enough!” The officer watches the inmate enter his cell, before following Harry up the corridor.
Night, and a prison officer looks down over the lamp-lit yard. The officer exits a gate labelled “No Prisoner Access”, followed by a younger officer who greets him, “Heya Bill”, before speaking into his radio, “Sorry Trace, go again?” Bill asks him, “How was it today?” as Tracey responds on the radio over their conversation. The younger officer replies “Ah, same as usual. Catch the footy last night?” Bill replies, “Nah, taped it. Hey, has Harry been acting up for you lately?” The officer shakes his head as they walk down a path beside a block of offices, saying, “Not that I’ve noticed. Actually he’s been pretty good. Although Tracey says he keeps not picking up his diabetes meds, so they have to keep sending for him?” The officer walks off to respond to his radio, but Bill pauses, asking, “Chris, he’s not bothering, or he’s forgetting?” The officer shrugs, saying, “How should I know? Tracey’s given him a warning though.” They walk away in opposite directions.
The next afternoon, the prison carpark is full as the young officer and Tracey walk side by side. A car pulls alongside them, and they wave to it, saying “See you tomorrow!” Driving it, Bill opens his window and asks, “Hey Tracey, Harry on three, has been acting up-” The young officer interrupts, swinging his keys, saying, “Day’s over mate!” He talks to Tracey as she talks on her phone, stopping to ask Bill, “Has he been acting up again?” Bill replies, “I don’t think he’s acting up, Chris said health services keep having to send for him to pick up his diabetes pills.” Tracey replies, “Yeah, for about the fourth time now,” then returns to her phone. Harry persists, “Well what does he say when you ask him?” Tracey replies, “Oh, he always says he’s done it already but he never has.” Bill thinks, then says, “So he’s forgotten.” Tracey reaches her car and turns, saying, “I don’t know.” Bill asks, “Did you report it?” She is distracted by her phone, so he asks again, “Did you report it?” She grins at him, saying, “I haven’t got time for that! Go an watch the game.” He thinks, before driving on.
Barb wire tops a fence by a cell block. Inside, Harry sits on a bed in a cell, staring at the wall. Bill enters and stands in his doorway, asking, “You good Harry?” Harry looks up, smiles, nods, saying, “Thanks.” He looks dazed. Bill smiles, nods, and walks on, Harry watching him go, before staring back at the wall.