Roseanne is 24 years old, locked in a prison indefinitely – yet has not been convicted of any crime. She has foetal alcohol brain damage, and the NT Government is refusing to provide care for her, instead leaving her locked up in prison.
Ian is her legal guardian and has recently spoken with her and felt just how distraught and frightened she is, wondering why she is locked in a cold concrete cell, not understanding what she has done wrong, wondering when she will get out.
Roseanne’s cycle of abuse and neglect growing up was truly shocking. At 5 years old she was being traded for sex. After years of abuse, as a young woman she committed some minor crimes, was deemed “unfit to plead” because of her disability – and like many other Aboriginal men and women ended up under indefinite prison-based supervision.
Roseanne has now been in prison for 18 months. She hasn’t been convicted of a crime.
The NT Government has wiped their hands of her. Despite building a brand new facility to care for people like Roseanne – the NT government is refusing to offer her a secure care placement that would allow her release. But it seems they think it’ll save a few dollars keeping her in jail instead of in proper care.
As any parent will understand, it breaks her guardian’s heart to hear her fragile and distraught voice, knowing there is somewhere better for her to go, and knowing that she continues to suffer because government bureaucracy won’t sign the transfer forms that are needed.
They’re leaving Roseanne in prison, neglected, forgotten and ignored. She is desperately sad and wants to return the NT. She deserves care and kindness, not prison bars and more abuse.
Please help me get this vulnerable girl into the supported care she needs, and leave our prisons for criminals.
Will you sign Ian’s petition asking the NT Government to offer Roseanne a place in proper care rather than leaving her locked in a prison indefinitely?
Sign the petition to let the Northern Territory know that this is not appropriate care for those with disability.
Unload and Unwind 
Petition signed.
Reason for Signing: There was another man, not so long ago, who considered it okay to imprison the mentally and physically handicapped… his name was Adolph Hitler. This is disgusting and outrageous. All human beings deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.
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What’s worse in my opinion is that the reason for it isn’t even some sort of fucked up ideal but purely financial. It makes me sick.
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I understand exactly what you mean. Also, if she’s there, how many others are there who don’t have guardians as caring as Roseanne’s? How many others are locked up in prison, forgotten?
I will admit that I almost didn’t sign the petition, not because I didn’t want to, but because I am leery of something that asks for my first & last name and full address. If all that stuff wasn’t required, I bet there would be a lot more signatures.
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Normally I agree but this is actually one of those times that from a legal standpoint they need to. It is designed to prove that the people signing it exist and aren’t just 5 o 6 signing fake names to get to the 50 000 signatures required to force a human rights hearing on the matter.
Thank you for sticking your neck out as I will so happy that some many are doing so.
I do volunteer work for Change Org – whenever they press releases, speech writing, media training or letters to the public they have myself and another do them.
As they are a charity their funding is minimal and what Toni and I do would normally cost at least $20 to $30 000 per year.
I spent so long in the corporate world that I think now I’m trying to do something for groups that need it the most and have the least.
The work goes out under whoever is running the campaign name to avoid me be targeted on any watch lists as I do this for a number of different groups and our government is starting to try to pass laws that will make it harder for groups to do such things.
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Well, that makes me feel a little better. That you volunteer for Change.org, I mean. Having had no previous experience with them, I was unsure if I was handing my info over to a scammer or not.
I just went forward on faith, lol.
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Can’t guarantee you won’t be on the email list for further protests of this nature but if you get one and don’t wish to continue getting any more there is an unsubscribe link at the bottom of the emails sent out. Your details won’t be sent on to other groups and even at Change Org the only ones who would see anything other than name and email address are the system administrators as it has strict privacy filters. Thanks for taking the leap – have a great day.
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This is a tragedy. SMH.
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Disgusting. Just a disgusting ball of disgusting.
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Could not agree more – and it is greed and discrimination wrapped up in a bureaucratic bundle.
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Do I have to be of the area to sign?
I used to work with individuals with developmental disabilities, and it’s so heartbreaking how to ignorant society is to their plight, their everyday struggles.
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No – we’re just trying to get the signature up to 50 000 which is enough to force a human rights hearing. It is so wrong what happens in these cases.
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Just signed 🙂
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Thank you 🙂
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Signed!
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Merci
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