Erin Patterson's cell isolation raises mental health concerns
A prisoner rights group says Erin Patterson's near-constant isolation is damaging her mental health.
Erin Patterson, 51, is confined to her cell for at least 22 hours daily. She is held at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre west of Melbourne.
Patterson has approved contact with just one other prisoner. This contact happens through wire mesh during limited yard time.
Prisoner rights group Justice Action says the isolation breaks United Nations rules. Those rules allow a maximum of 15 consecutive days in solitary confinement.
The group calls the treatment like torture. They propose peer counselling to help Patterson's mental wellbeing.
This would cost taxpayers nothing. Patterson was convicted of murdering three relatives.
She served them beef Wellingtons laced with death cap mushrooms. This happened at a lunch in July 2023.
She is eligible for parole after 33 years. Her isolation partly exists because other prisoners resent her crimes.
- 22
- Hours confined daily
- 51
- Age
- 3
- Relatives murdered
- 33
- Parole eligibility after years
Why it mattersRaises questions about whether lengthy isolation is appropriate even for serious offenders. Also raises questions about whether prisoner rights advocacy can influence policy.
AustraliaShows how Australian prisons balance security with humane treatment, and highlights debate over whether prolonged solitary confinement harms rehabilitation.
Corroborated bythenightly.com.au
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 12 h ago
