Remand is Stressful

Dear Editor of About Time,

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I’m in month 20 with my trial another 12 months away. Remand is a particularly stressful period mainly due to a number of factors:

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1. Uncertainty of the future
2. Risk of random bad placement
3. Risks of violent offenders

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Therefore, I find the lack of access to nature, particularly trees and open grass lands is mentally and physically detrimental especially for first-timers and older (>60) folk like myself.

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The majority of prison staff try their best and you feel some actually care. Given ‘remand’ is the entry point, how can the NSW remand system be changed to mitigate the anxiety and concerns associated with the points above?

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Thank you.