ISSUE NO. 25
August 2026
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Letters

Watch Batteries Should Be Treated as Essential

By
Anthony

Anthony writes from a prison in NSW.

Matteo Vella via Unsplash

Has anybody purchased a watch recently or in the past and wondered what happens when the battery dies?

How are we meant to get replacement batteries for our jail watches if we cannot get batteries on our weekly buy-up? I know that you can buy AA and AAA batteries on buy up from any vendor for wireless radios. But you cannot purchase watch batteries.

How bloody outrageous. Think about how many inmates need replacement batteries for their dead watches or whose watch is close to needing a replacement battery.

Another question I’d like to mention is, how are we meant to take the stainless steel back off to replace the battery if Corrections did approve putting battery for watches on the weekly grocery buy-up or monthly activity buy-up?

That’s something Corrections need to work out. The gaol staff in your area should be able to have a screwdriver in the office so inmates are able to remove the back of their watches and replace the battery.

How many inmates need their watch batteries replaced? Well this shouldn’t be many as everyone would have got their watches at different times. I don’t see why they don’t put it on trial.

In my opinion, I think watch batteries should be added to the weekly grocery buy-up or the monthly activity buy-up for inmates as it’s an essential, especially when inmates use their watches for alarms or when working out.

Has anybody purchased a watch recently or in the past and wondered what happens when the battery dies?

How are we meant to get replacement batteries for our jail watches if we cannot get batteries on our weekly buy-up? I know that you can buy AA and AAA batteries on buy up from any vendor for wireless radios. But you cannot purchase watch batteries.

How bloody outrageous. Think about how many inmates need replacement batteries for their dead watches or whose watch is close to needing a replacement battery.

Another question I’d like to mention is, how are we meant to take the stainless steel back off to replace the battery if Corrections did approve putting battery for watches on the weekly grocery buy-up or monthly activity buy-up?

That’s something Corrections need to work out. The gaol staff in your area should be able to have a screwdriver in the office so inmates are able to remove the back of their watches and replace the battery.

How many inmates need their watch batteries replaced? Well this shouldn’t be many as everyone would have got their watches at different times. I don’t see why they don’t put it on trial.

In my opinion, I think watch batteries should be added to the weekly grocery buy-up or the monthly activity buy-up for inmates as it’s an essential, especially when inmates use their watches for alarms or when working out.

This
letter
was originally printed in the
August 2026
edition of About Time.

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