Gerald Preston

Hi, I’m Gerald Preston and I’m incacerated at Yatala Labour Prison in South Australia, where I’m serving a “life with 32 years non-parole” sentence for murder.

I was born in October 1959, in Edinburgh, Scotland. I arrived Australia in January 1973, where I’ve lived and worked in every state. I started my sentence in 1996 and my parole date is in 2028 when, as a non-Australian citizen, I’ll be deported.

An oldie (but apparently not a goodie…?), in the past my recreational interests have included; antiques, art, computer-programming, fishing, kayaking, old cars, sky-diving and wooden boats… With no opportunity to pursue any of those, nowadays; fitness, health, letters, puzzles, radio and TV suffice.

Locked down 19 hours, my ‘Groundhog Days’ are spent engaging in discplined routine, obsessively battling the ravages of time and the dearth of challenging mental stimulation-hygiene, exercise, correspondence and self-educatiobn are my treadmills.

My current domicile is an 1860’s gaol cell, retro-fitted with; lighting, electricity, intercom and exposed plumbing… The polished stainless-steel toilet dominates the space and make poignant statement-shithouse with a bed! Minimalist decor from the past with portals (radio and TV) to the 21st century- I call it my Turdis.

At this stage of my sentence I’m still classified as “high-security”. The deportation issue ensures I have no prospects of ever progressing to “low-security” or accessing any education, rehabilitation, vocational training or resocialization programs.

Citing my isolation and lack of opportunity, in 2012 and 2016, I applied for an ‘International Prisoners Transfer’ to complete my sentence in a UK prison…alas, I’ll apply again in 2020.

I will be 69 years old by the time I’ve completed my sentence. I hope to return to the UK and spend time with my remaining family before we all expire.

I have an adult son, whom I’ve had no contact with throughout my sentence. I hope one day he finds his way to getting in touch with me.

Hope springs eternal….