Indonesia moves foreigners out of riot-hit prison

 

Indonesia started moving foreign inmates, women and children out of an overcrowded prison on Bali island Thursday after two days of rioting, officials said, as troops backed by water canons and armored vehicles surrounded the tense facility. Schapelle Corby and several other Australians serving time for drug trafficking balked at the transfer because of the difficulty adjusting to a new place, said Bambang Krisbanu, a security official at the justice ministry. He said evacuations would be voluntary, but other officials later said the evacuations would apply to all those selected — about 60 foreigners, 120 women and 13 children. The violence that erupted late Tuesday at the Kerobokan jail — which houses more than 1,000 drug traffickers, sex offenders and other violent criminals — was triggered by the stabbing of an inmate during a brawl a week ago. The prisoners blamed lax security for allowing a knife into the prison. By Wednesday night, the inmates had chased away all 13 guards and seized full control of the compound, said Beny Arjanto, the local police chief. Some climbed to the top of the watch tower and started throwing rocks and a Molotov cocktail at more than 500 soldiers and police stationed outside. Others tried to break down the front gates. Troops responded by firing tear gas and shots in the air. Others stormed the facility, but they were forced back out 10 minutes later, said Arjanto. A few inmates have been injured, he said, but none of them seriously. The decision to relocate foreigners, women and children to another prison was made as it became clear Thursday that tensions were not going to ease anytime soon. "We want to evacuate them immediately for their own safety," said Col. Wing Handoko, a military spokesman. "We need to make sure they aren't used by other prisoners to get international attention or as bargaining chips for their demands. "We don't want them to be taken hostage." Though he would not say exactly where they would go, another police officer told The Associated Press they were heading for Klungkung, a jail about 40 miles (70 kilometers) away. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak to the media. The Kerobokan prison about 20 minutes from Bali's international airport was built for around 300 prisoners but houses more than three times that. Of the 60 or so foreigners, 12 are Australians and one is American, said Anang Khuzairi, a prison official. The most famous is Corby, a former beauty school student serving a 20-year sentence for smuggling 9 pounds (4.2 kilograms) of marijuana into Bali. Her case garnered intense interest in Australia, where many people believe she was innocent. Krisbanu said she and the other Australian inmates insisted they did not want to be moved. However, minister justice Amir Syamsuddin who is in Bali overseeing the operation, has requested evacuation of all foreigners, women and children, Handoko said. He added that so far 31 inmates, 14 of them foreigners have been moved by Thursday evening. "Most of the foreigners rejected, but we forced them due to the minister's request," Handoko said. No further information was available on the 13 inmates who are younger than 18.

Labour MP Eric Joyce suspended after 'head-butting' Tory Stuart Andrew in House of Commons bar

 

The 51-year-old remains MP for Falkirk but cannot take the Labour whip in the Commons until the conclusion of the police investigation. 'This is an extremely serious incident,' a Labour party spokesperson said. 'We have suspended Eric Joyce pending the results of the police investigation.' Mr Joyce is said to have been arrested after the incident involving Tory MP Stuart Andrew at the Strangers bar, which is reserved for MPs and their guests, in the House of Commons before 11pm yesterday. 'We were called at approximately 10.50pm last night to reports of a disturbance at a bar within the House of Commons,' a statement from the Metropolitan police said. 'A man aged in his 50s was arrested by officers on suspicion of assault. He remains in custody in a central London police station. Inquiries are continuing.' Reports said Mr Andrew, the 40-year-old Tory MP for Pudsey, intended to press charges against Mr Joyce over the incident. An eyewitness who did not wish to be named told the website PoliticsHome that Mr Joyce 'just started lashing out at people' after complaining the bar was 'full of Tories'. Speaking in the Commons after news of Mr Joyce's arrest, Speaker John Bercow said: 'Members will be aware of reports of a serious incident in the House last night. I have been informed by the Serjeant at Arms that the honourable member for Falkirk has been detained in police custody. 'The matter is being investigated. I take this matter very seriously, as do the House authorities. I would ask that no further reference should be made to these reports in the chamber today.' Mr Joyce, MP for Falkirk since December 2000, served in the Army Education Corps before pursuing a career in politics. In 2009 he quit as parliamentary private secretary to defence secretary Bob Ainsworth due to concerns of the war in Afghanistan. A year later he resigned as shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland for pleading guilty to failing to provide a breath test. Labour MP Paul Farrelly was involved in a brawl in an unrelated incident at another Commons bar in 2010. The MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme 'wrested' a man to the floor in 'self-defence after an altercation at a karaoke party in parliament's Sports and Social Club.

Foreign and female inmates to be evacuated from Bali's Kerobokan prison

 

FOREIGN inmates including the 12 Australians held at Bali's notorious Kerobokan jail are set to be moved later today amid fears they could be targeted in ongoing unrest at the prison. Prison guards and police have again been forced to retreat to the streets outside the jail following a second night of unrest in the wake of a rampage by inmates on Tuesday night during which sections of the jail were destroyed by fire. About 400 armed police and soldiers remain stationed outside the jail amid a tense stand-off with prisoners. Indonesian Justice and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsuddin has also been dispatched from Jakarta and is expected to visit the jail later today. The ongoing tension has prompted authorities to prepare for a mass evacuation of the jail, which has been without electricity since the riot broke out at about 11pm local time (2am AEDT) on Tuesday.  Riots continue in Kerobokan prison Buses have been moved to Kerobokan to prepare for the evacuation, which could take place at about 1pm. It's understood that the 60 foreign prisoners will be taken to a detention facility at Klungkung, a drive of about two hours from Kerobokan. Kerobokan governor Bowo Nariwono has confirmed the plan but said details were still being worked out. ''There's a plan to make them safe,'' Mr Nariwono said. The overcrowded jail houses more than 1000 male and female inmates, including the Gold Coast's Schapelle Corby and members of the so-called Bali Nine drug trafficking group. One of the Australian prisoners, Graeme Michael Pollock, was due to be sentenced today in relation to drugs charges. His hearing has now been postponed. The evacuation plan emerged as authorities voiced concerns for the safety of the foreigners inside the jail after a second night of unrest. Provincial military command spokesman Wing Handoko told AFP that authorities were still working out the details of the evacuation. ''We don't want to take chances, just in case the foreigners become a target of the prisoners' anger,'' he said. Authorities were forced out of the prison again last night after having initially wrested control of the jail back from prisoners earlier in the day. ''The prisoners took over the prison again, which forced security personnel to fire warning shots into the air,'' Mr Handoko said. Prisoners responded to the warning shots by throwing flaming missiles onto the street outside the jail. It is understood that they have demanded that the three prisoners shot in the leg with rubber bullets and removed from the jail yesterday be returned. The prison has been sealed off with about 400 armed police and soldiers, equipped with water cannons, stationed outside. Prisoners began rioting on Tuesday night after days of simmering tensions following the stabbing on Sunday of one prisoner by three inmates from a rival drug gang. Police were called in at about 4pm on Sunday to quell a mob of prisoners that had attacked those believed to be responsible for the stabbing.

Confusion surrounds Australian prisoners held in Bali riot jail

 

Confusion surrounds Australian prisoners held in Bali riot jail Scott Rush, is escorted by two policemen after being moved out from Kerobokan prison in Denpasar.  BALI nine drug mule Scott Rush was evacuated from the fire-damaged Kerobokan prison late yesterday after a day of confusion and posturing. Prison authorities in Bali backed down from a threat to forcibly move 1015 prisoners from the jail in urban Denpasar, and by late last night had moved a small fraction of that. The fate of the other 11 Australians housed in the prison is unknown, as police were gearing up to move more people out. Last night, drug smugglers Schapelle Corby and the rest of the Bali nine were still inside.

Federal agents bust heroin operation at Stillwell Ave. auto shop in the Bronx, arrest 2, seize drugs and gun

 

Federal narcotics agents busted a heroin operation at a Bronx auto shop this month, severing a million dollar supply chain that stretched to Long Island, court records indicate. They raided Mobile Creations, a luxury car customizing shop, on Feb. 7 after nabbing a Suffolk County drug dealer attempting to sell 68 grams of heroin. The dealer ratted out his supplier, who gave up his source at Mobile, at 1631 Stillwell Ave. near Pelham Parkway in Morris Park, according to a complaint filed in Brooklyn Federal Court. The drug task force officers had the supplier set up a meet with James Gainer, who allegedly operated out of the Bronx shop, and arrested the suspect with 500 grams of heroin he planned to sell for $28,500, according to the complaint. They also snatched Mobile Creations manager Robert Bishun after finding 1.5 kilograms of cocaine and 250 grams of heroin hidden in a vehicle at the shop, and $40,000 in cash concealed in a Mercedes-Benz sedan registered to Bishun. The officers seized a .40 caliber handgun, loose ammunition and $30,000 cash from the shop’s office, along with pay-and-owe sheets detailing millions of dollars in narcotics transactions. The complaint charges both men with drug dealing and possession and Bishun with possessing a firearm linked to trafficking. Four drug grinders and a scale were also found in the shop, according to the complaint. The Suffolk County supplier told the agents he met Gainer at Mobile Creations to buy at least 100 grams of heroin a week. Repair shops and auto parts stores line Stillwell Ave., a quiet street that abuts Metro-North Railroad tracks. The facade of Mobile Creations sports colorful signs featuring Bentleys, Range Rovers and other luxury cars. "I just work here 10-6," said Mike James, a mechanic at Mobile Creations, on Monday. "This is a legit shop." "The shop has been around for over 10 years and they do high-end customization of cars," said Javier Solano, Bishun’s lawyer. "They do Lamborghini-style doors. They do $25,000 rims, $30,000 audio systems." Bishun and Gainer are being held without bail and have not been indicted yet, said Solano. Gainer’s lawyer, Lawrence DiGiansante, declined to comment.

one associate testified that he personally oversaw the distribution of up to 160 kilos of cocaine per month.

Massive amounts of cocaine sat in the courtroom Thursday as testimony continued in the Craig Petties drug organization trial.

The Petties drug organization is considered the most notorious in Memphis history. Thursday's testimony shed light onto how much cocaine funneled into Memphis and how violent the gang could be, even to its own associates.

During another day in the trial of Petties' alleged hitmen, cousins Martin and Clinton Lewis, one associate testified that he personally oversaw the distribution of up to 160 kilos of cocaine per month. He said he earned some $300,000 every single month.

Boxes filled with bags of cocaine sat in the courtroom during much of Thursday's testimony, just feet from members of the jury.

Jury members heard from Billy Ray Myles, another known Petties gang associate who said Clinton Lewis chased him down and shot him after he stole drugs from the group.

The cousins are also accused of killing others for much less, prosecutors said.

The trial continues Friday morning at 9:30. There is no information on when Petties himself might testify.

Martin and Clinton Lewis have pleaded not guilty to committing murder for the organization.

suspected member of the Zetas drug gang has led Mexican authorities to a mass grave site at two ranches in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz

A suspected member of the Zetas drug gang has led Mexican authorities to a mass grave site at two ranches in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, the navy said Wednesday.
The navy says its personal detained suspect Francisco Alvarado Martagon Tuesday as he attempted to drive past a military checkpoint near the city of Acayucan in a vehicle without license plates.
Once in custody, Alvarado Martagon confessed to being a head lookout for the Zetas, it said.
Under questioning, the man mentioned two sites at local ranches that the Zetas allegedly used to dispose of bodies, including rivals or members of their own gang who had been executed.
The navy said it inspected the sites and found the buried, badly decomposed remains of 10 people on Tuesday and continued searching.
Veracruz has been the scene of bloody battles between the Zetas and the Sinaloa drug cartel.
Mexican authorities have found hundreds of bodies dumped by drug gangs in mass graves in recent years, mainly in the states of Durango and Tamaulipas.

Transitioning back to work after addiction treatment is a challenging and daunting process.

You may feel like a completely different person. You may wonder how your co-workers will respond to you. You may feel isolated and alone.

However, returning to work is one of the most important steps you can take in your recovery. A job will focus your energy and attention on productive uses, lessening your risk of relapse. Work will also introduce you to more people, who may become instrumental in providing you with the support and friendship you need.

Follow these tips as you transition back to the workplace to ensure the greatest level of success.

1) Go to your meetings
Your recovery meetings will provide you with guidance and support. This is the place where you can discuss the challenges and successes you have as you transition back to a work environment.

2) Build a strong recovery support network
Having a network of people who supported you throughout your recovery efforts was probably a strong factor in your success. Maintaining such a network will be equally important as you re-enter the workforce. Without a strong support network, you are less likely to be able to handle the stress of re-entering the workforce or job-hunting, and you are more likely to suffer a relapse. Your network may include: friends, family, co-workers and addiction support groups. This network can help bolster your confidence when it falters.

3) Live in a halfway house when circumstances necessitate
Living in a halfway house during challenging times will help keep you away from temptation. You’ll be surrounded by people who understand your struggles, and you will be reminded of the work you’ve already put into your recovery.

4) Strictly follow the aftercare plan
Think of your aftercare plan as a road map to keep you on the road to recovery. If you start to slip, go back to your aftercare plan and use it to get back on track. An aftercare plan will consist of a series of actions for you to take that will help keep you sober. Your aftercare plan will be tailored to you during the end of your treatment. It may include:

Attending your recovery group meetings
Speaking with your sponsor a set number of times per week
Attending aftercare programs at your treatment facility
Reaching out to recovery peers to offer moral support
Taking good care of yourself and making sure you are eating and sleeping properly and making time for exercise and meditation
Reading your aftercare plan regularly
5) Take Advantage of Employee Assistance Programs
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) typically provide services that help employees deal with personal problems that might affect their job performance. If you have an EAP available to you, research it and see if there are services that you could use. It’s very likely that counseling services are available, which can help you work through your addiction challenges.

6) Develop a balance between meetings and work
A recovering addict who has returned to the workforce has to divide his or her time between work and support meetings. It is important that you don’t overextend yourself at work, especially if it results in skipping your support meetings. Although you may be eager to get back into the full swing of things at work, overdoing it will make you stretch yourself too thin, resulting in increased stress levels and increased chances of a relapse.

7) Avoid job related drinking events
This is a simple and effective way to maintain your sobriety. At “happy hour” after work, work-related holiday parties and business dinner meetings, you may feel pressure to consume alcohol. Establish an open and honest dialogue with your supervisor about your addiction recovery.

Make sobriety the priority
Staying sober is a lifelong commitment. It takes hard work and resolve, but the payoff is enormous. Just as we prioritize things like family and hobbies, prioritizing sobriety will help reinforce its importance to you.

9) Maintain a strong relapse prevention plan
A relapse does not happen overnight. It slowly builds over time until you find yourself seeking the physical outlet of your addiction. You can prevent a relapse by having a strong relapse prevention plan. Components of a strong relapse prevention program include:

Remaining stable: Stay sober so you can think clearly and remain in control of yourself. It is recommended that you not create the plan until you have been sober for several days to allow for appropriate introspection.
Identifying your triggers: What causes you to use? Identify these triggers and then make changes in your life to stop exposing yourself to them or to avoid them.
Checking in with yourself: Take some time every day to touch base with yourself. How are you feeling? What are you thinking about? If using crops up in your mind, the best thing you can do is talk to someone about it.
Learning to recognize warning signs of relapse: Watch out for mood changes, changes in sleeping and eating, and thoughts of using.
Treating yourself well: Develop a list of things you enjoy doing, so you can do those when the thought of using creeps into your mind.
Creating a meditation plan: This will serve as a daily reminder of why you are quitting and committed to a sober lifestyle.
Identification of your support network: If you do notice warning signs, get in contact with your support network immediately.
10) Avoid people, places and things associated with using and drinking
Removing yourself from temptation is the single best way to ensure long-term sobriety success. If it’s not there, you can’t have it. Don’t fall back into your old habits. You are a new person, and you deserve a new life. Try new things. Develop new hobbies. Identify rewarding activities that you can do instead of using. Establish trustworthy and supportive friendships.

Going back to work after addiction treatment will take more of the same hard work you have already put toward your recovery. When times get tough, try to remember you are not the only person going through this. Millions of people around the world are in the same situation as you, and millions have succeeded.

Further Resources:
Learn more about utilizing the Family Medical Leave Act for addiction recovery.

About the Author:
Alan Goodstat, LCSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, received his Masters in Social Work at Columbia University in New York City. He’s now a Director of Performance Improvement for a Behavioral Hospital System and contributes to the addiction recovery site RecoveryConnection.org. He wrote a chapter on substance abuse in the book Put Yourself in Their Shoes: Understanding Teenagers With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Addictions UK is proud to have a higher success rate than many other addiction treatment programmes.

Addictions UK is proud to have a higher success rate than many other addiction treatment programmes.

Visit www.AddictionsUK.com for more information.



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Hello, my name is Simon Stephens, I’m Director of Casework for Addictions UK.

We’re often asked, What’s our success rate? We like to reply that over 70% of our clients can and do get well. That’s not to write off the other 30%, perhaps they may take longer in their recovery.

The way that you can ensure that you fall into the recovery group is to bring your hope and enthusiasm to the programme.

One of the reasons that our recovery rate is so much higher than many other programmes you may have encountered, is we work hard to match our client’s needs with the recovery programme offered.

If you use Addictions UK, we’ll work exceptionally hard at finding a programme that matches your needs.

We work on a one-to-one basis – whatever we work with, however we work with you, we especially work towards your recovery.

Most people have heard the words “monkey on my back” used as a term for defining addiction.

Most people have heard the words “monkey on my back” used as a term for defining addiction. Personally, I find the word “addiction” too soft a word to describe the monster every addict or alcoholic battles in daily life. It’s too clinical, too sterile, and just doesn’t pack the same punch as the monkey analogy.

As a hardcore alcoholic for more than half my life, I learned a few things about the monkey. First, he never knows when to keep his mouth shut. It’s not that he’s loud. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. The monkey prefers to whisper, at least during the early stages of addiction. Day in, day out, he whispers in the addict’s ear, reminding the addict that it’s time to party. He whispers because he doesn’t want others to hear him. “They don’t understand you the way I do”, he whispers. “I’m your only true friend. It’s you and me, brother. Besides, it’s nobody’s business but our own.”

The monkey is also persistent. He never, ever leaves the addict’s side. He’s always there to remind the addict that one drink or one puff never hurt anyone. Sure, he makes himself a little scarce when trouble arrives, but he’s always watching from behind the scenes while the addict works things out. The monkey never leaves for long because he can’t survive without the addict, although he never confesses the truth. Instead, he turns the tables, convincing his victim that he or she cannot live without him. The monkey is a cunning little devil.

For many years, I believed every word the monkey ever spoke. We’d been through good and bad times together, shared countless late night conversations, and he’d always understood me when no one else did. Or, so I thought. It wasn’t until I tried to part ways with the monkey that things started to get ugly. He didn’t like the idea. I tried to explain that my life was falling apart and something had to change. He just smiled and assured me everything would be okay, as long as we had each other. I protested, reminding him that things were far from okay. My exhaustion and losing my will to live were killing me, just as they had done to my sister, a favorite uncle, and two best friends. I let the monkey know he was getting pretty tiresome, too, and confided my plans to end our friendship.

But the monkey is also relentless. When I told the monkey about my plans to quit drinking, he became silent. Well, at least until I stopped drinking for a few days. Then he wrapped both legs around my back, tightened his grip around my neck, and started screaming in my ear. He had no intention of leaving. He’d grown larger and more powerful over the years and there was no shaking him off, no matter how hard I tried. The more I fought, the tighter he held on. I was beginning to hate the monkey. Worse, he scared me to death. I spent the next three months trying to shake him off before entering rehab. The monkey decided to go with me and the battle of my life would soon begin.

The monkey is just a mental image, of course. The term is simply used to paint a picture of addiction, as seen through the addict’s eyes. But the energy that drives every addict to abuse alcohol or drugs, even after they want to quit, is both very real and extremely powerful.

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Dan Farish is a former alcoholic. Today, he works as an Addiction Recovery Coach helping others to overcome addiction. Dan is also the author of Three Steps to Recovery – One Man’s Triumph Over Alcohol and Drugs – A Simple Approach Anyone Can Use to Overcome Any Addiction.
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Read free book chapters at www.3stepstorecovery.com
To learn more about addiction recovery coaching, please visit www.3stepstorecovery.net