An Impossible Middle Ground

An Impossible Middle Ground Introduction

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‘Ketamine Dress’

"Once the drug test came back positive, I knew the contact visit wouldn't go ahead. He [her husband] was angry. He hadn't done anything wrong, and neither had I. I didn't even know what Ketamine was until they [the guards] told me."

This dress, belonging to a mother of two, tested positive for Ketamine during a routine drug swab before visitation. It was bought a few days prior to a visit with her husband at a prison near Brisbane, Australia.

Despite insisting that she had not come in contact with (or even knew of) the drug, the positive drug test meant that she would not be allowed to have a contact visit with her husband and would instead have to visit behind glass or a 'box visit' as it is commonly referred to. Further, this record of a positive drug test would be attached to her visitor file along with her picture for future reference

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‘The Box 1’

The non-contact visiting area, or ‘the box’ as it is more commonly called, at a prison near Brisbane, Australia. The ‘boxes’ sit side by side and are shaped in a ‘U’ where visitors sit on the outside and prisoners are contained on the inside.

The box is used as a disciplinary measure for prisoners, but also for family members and friends visiting who have tested positive for banned substances or failed to follow visiting rules and regulations in the past.

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'Dad's Room'

A drawing done by an incarcerated father for his children shortly after he was imprisoned and approximately 12 months before subsequently deported under Australia's "Deportation of Non-Citizens" Policy—a scheme devised to remove foreign nationals with a criminal conviction and record of imprisonment.

Many of those who find themselves likely to be deported are citizens of New Zealand (as was the case here) with whom Australia's government have a reciprocal agreement allowing citizens of each country resident status without the need for a visa.

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‘Best Dad’

An image of a small box containing keepsakes and reminders of her incarcerated Father whose passport photo is centred on the box lid and pixelated to protect his identity.

The image was taken nearly a year after he went inside and a few weeks before he would be deported. Under Australia's "Deportation of Non-Citizens" Policy—foreign nationals with a criminal conviction and record of imprisonment are deported from the country regardless of how many years they have resided in Australia.

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‘Second, Second, First’

Athletic ribbons marking achievements made by the young daughter of an incarcerated father. The ribbons were kept in a small box containing keepsakes and reminders that she had collected while he was inside. She kept them here because he was absent for the occasions on account of being in prison. Shortly after this image was taken her father was informed that he would be deported on account of his foreign nationality (New Zealand) and his criminal record as part of Australia’s “Deportation of Non-Citizens” policy.

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'The Box 2'

A drawing by an incarcerated father of three of the non-contact or 'box' visiting area in a prison near Brisbane, Australia. The 'box' is often used as a punitive tool for prisoners, but also for visitors. Those who test positive for illicit substances on their hands or clothing during routine screening have their contact visit revoked and are given a 'box' visit instead.

It is common for the drug-screening machine to 'malfunction' or be 'oversensitive' and find traces of substances despite the visitor insisting s/he has not come in contact with them. For this reason, prison guards recommend visitors refrain from riding public transport or handling money immediately before a visit.

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'Visitation'

The contact visitation area at a correctional centre near Brisbane, Australia.

Family members can hold hands and a child can be closer to their incarcerated parent (mainly fathers).

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‘Inmates must not approach children in the play area’

The children’s play area in the contact visit section of a prison near Brisbane, Australia. The area is home to 5 prisons, including a youth detention facility, all within a 5-kilometre radius. Each week (mainly on weekends) hundreds of family members and friends drive or take public transport, with some travelling interstate from neighbouring New South Wales in order to visit.

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'We're going to visit Dad at work'

A young mother explains her attempt to keep the truth of a father's whereabouts from the youngest child in the family:

“I guess the only thing I said to (the older kids) was ‘Don’t tell him (the youngest). Tell him we’re visiting Dad at work; this is where he works now.'...and then this one time we were visiting there was this little kid from (his) school and he was like ‘Oh hey, your Dad’s in jail too?’”

This image was taken by a family member outside of a correctional centre near Brisbane, Australia prior to a visit with his father. The image has been pixelated to protect the child's identity.

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‘Cut it Short’

“There were a couple of times…we cut it short, because there was just no point. We were just sort of sitting there in silence because we had nothing that we wanted to say”.

A young woman speaks of visits with her incarcerated partner at a prison near Brisbane, Australia.

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'I just wanted him, but he couldn't be there'

An ultrasound of a couple's first child as a young mother recounts the birth of her daughter at a time when her partner was incarcerated.

The first time the child met her father was during a non-contact visit at a prison near Brisbane, Australia shortly after being born.

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