Andreas Karnauchow
My name is Andre, but the boys also call me Schlagger, which in German means a popular hit song. I love singing in the Prison Chapel which we have every Thursday at Parklea. I always try to get more guys here to come to come to the Chapel service, to get away from the noise of the yard into a peaceful place and to sow the seed of faith to all our lost guys fighting with all types of addictions.*
*Andre is now at South Coast Correctional Centre and no longer resides at Parklea.
I am now a 50 years old bikie dude with a ponytail, bald on top and with a grey goatee. I had a strong build but I’m working on getting that back.
All the guys in the yard look up to me because they know I enjoy helping people out. I am a bit of a prison yard lawyer as I have done some inside time talking to other inmates on their court proceedings. Therefore, I have heard of many experiences of all types of justice matters including the performance of solicitors and barristers, judge rulings and court procedures. The biggest concern I hear about is the inconsistencies in sentence length for similar offences where some sentences are harsh and others are fair.
The other major issue I always hear from other inmates is the excessive use of police force. The Police have also lost the touch of serving the community with honesty, courtesy and respect. I believe to solve the major problem of police attacking the community is to just change the culture by being honest, courteous and show respect. If you would agree, please email me as I would like to get a case going for a Royal Commission into Police Conduct. Just three words would change the police culture to better serve the community. I know it’s a tough job being a Police Officer, but you can’t use fire with fire, cops need to keep their cool.
Another issue I find that many inmates talk about is what I call criminal discrimination. Once a criminal is with a record, anyone can make a false allegation against a reformed criminal and the law automatically sees this person as guilty. Even the Police ask, “Have you been in trouble with the law?” And if you say “yes”, you’re gone. You get treated differently, more harshly, and you are not believed. What happened to forgiveness, it does not exist in the Police Force. The police need to read the Bible. This criminal discrimination only unfairly condemns innocent ex-cons. I always hear about police waiting at the front gate of a jail, re-arresting a reformed inmate on release, only for that person to go back inside jail.
Yes, I can already read your mind, you’re thinking, “criminals only get out to re-offend”. Very true, but I will tell you from an inmate on the inside that there are no rehabilitation programs on the inside. All we have is doing the time and we are left without our own devices. Many inmates go in, and come out much worse. This is something I see 1000 fold times. Like a revolving door that welcomes you back to the big house to pollute your mind with jail junk and more time, and time to be more toxic.
The jails are all full and are bursting at the seams because the government is not spending money on compulsory rehabilitation programs. Sorry to say this but it’s the truth of why so many inmates re-offend. Inmates on the inside are not supported enough to allow real change to occur. Just doing time is not the answer. Prisons are an old outdated colonial system and a huge waste of money. There must be a better way to treat criminals. Maybe we need a huge Royal Commission in the Criminal Punishment System. If you agree please email me on any suggestions.
Currently, all I see is more jail and no bail. This statement is written on many prison walls.
NSW just keeps building more jails and as soon as they’re built they are full in no time. We therefore find ourselves again in the same situation of full prison capacity.
The current idea of home detention is not used enough. To get home detention you need fewer prisons. But NSW doesn’t use this tool to its full potential. Home detention should be offered first if you are pleading not guilty, waiting for a trial, and the Police only have hear-say evidence and not compelling evidence like DNA, physical injuries, CCTV photos, or fingerprints. Also, having several witnesses seeing serious crime. That person should be imprisoned as the evidence is too compelling for a strong conviction. There are too many people fabricating allegations with no evidence only to fuel the drug addiction. And they are getting away with it. The Crown and the police are only interested in winning the case. Innocent people are being accused of serious allegations with no evidence and are thrown straight into jail with no bail. The community is the one that loses. The accused get victims compensation payed by the taxpayers, and then more jails need to be built using taxpayer money. Laws also need to change regarding bail offered on serious allegations with only weak evidence.
There are too many inmates in jail for crimes they did not commit. They fight the charges at a huge expense and run out of money. They then look to Legal Aid only to lose on the trial.
There is a major ice issue out there, with addicts hooked on ice and always hungry for more. They are willing to rob their own family and friends to support a terrible habbit. Ice-dependent people are that desperate that they will even make up false allegations against innocent people. Unfortunately they will do anything possible to get the money. This is what happened to me, including many others who were found guilty based on false allegations due to the accuser’s drug dependencies. They made up a story just to fuel their drug elixir and got away with it. The Criminal Justice System has gone mad, and is supporting ice on the streets at the expense of the taxpayers. Laws need to change to stop this loophole that feed ice-addicts. If you are a good lawyer reading this please email me. I need all the help I can get to continue to protest my innocence.
I would like to see my accusers change their ice addiction with an addiction to know God. Instead of chasing the ice, they will be chasing Gods word. Get a real hit in the Lord, know the truth and find the good path that leads to life, and not destruction. Ice hurts our brothers and sisters. They don’t know what they are doing. They follow the ice road that leads to desperation and they find themselves always hungry for more. So let’s get together to stop the hunger, change the laws, protect the innocent, and bring them to God.
God bless you,
Schlagger
