Predatory Podcast: Former inmate Russell Manser reveals how child sex offenders are protected in jail

High profile former inmate Russell Manser has revealed what really happens to child sex offenders behind bars. Listen to the podcast. Warning: Graphic

They were once the most despised people in jail, subjected to frequent attacks from inmates.

But, child sex offenders now have a fierce ring of protection from those least expected — the wardens employed to guard them.

A former inmate has revealed so-called “prison justice” in Australia has been overtaken by a “duty of care” for all approach to prisoners.

Russell Manser, who spent 23 years locked up for armed bank robberies, said the change that had occurred inside Australian jails was mind-blowing.

“I started in jail in 1984 — in the early days, they would get set up,” Manser said.

Now he said a new wave of guards do not turn a blind eye.

Russell Manser has told his story as part of the Predatory podcast. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

“The prison officers will jump in front of them these days because they don’t want to have to write reports to sort of say ‘I took my eye off this guy’ and old mate jumped the fence and f***en belted him.”

Manser — himself a child abuse survivor — speaks ahead of the fourth episode of ex NSW Detective Gary Jubelin and actress Madeleine West’s Predatory podcast.

\Madeleine West, Gary Jubelin and Russell Manser. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST BELOW:

“That is a big misconception that is the case, but it’s not anymore. I did my last time in jail in 2017 and from say about 1995 I never saw a sex offender get bashed up for that,” he said.

The former boss of one of the toughest NSW jails John Heffernan said, in his experience, guards did not leave sex offenders unprotected, as they took their responsibilities seriously.

“The officers may not like the inmates they are assigned to protect or what they have done, but the overwhelming majority will do their utmost to ensure the inmate’s safety,” the last governor of Grafton jail said.

“Some inmates in protection may tend to stand over weaker inmates, but they are dealt with very quickly.”

Russell Manser is now helping others through his survivors group. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

When he began working in prisons in the 1970s it was a different story, with “very little” protection offered to inmates, specifically sex offenders and murderers.

“I can remember when the Virginia Morse murderers (Allan Baker and Kevin Crump) came into Long Bay (prison in Sydney). They were despised by officers and prisoners alike. They had done horrific things to Mrs Morse (rape and murder). I was aware that inmates who had access to them, such as wing sweepers and inmates in the reception area [who] tampered with their food and generally took any and every chance to make their life miserable,” Mr Heffernan said.

He said that wouldn’t be tolerated now with dedicated protection areas.

“Officers are there to carry out the directions of the court, they are not there to be self-appointed judge, jury and executioner,” he said.

John Heffernan at work on his first day at Grafton in 2003. Picture: The Daily Examiner

John Heffernan is retired now but still keeps abreast of changes in the prison system.

Manser said during one of his last jail stints, a 17 person task force was established to investigate false claims he had attacked a sex offender “who got severely mangled”.

“I said to the cop ‘did you have a big task force for when this bloke was doing all this freaky shit?’”

Manser estimates more than half of inmates have been involved in some form of abuse in their life, usually sexual.

“I reckon it’s about 65 per cent. My take on it is (we need to) work on the underlying issue of someone’s offending behaviour and it’s normally drug addiction. Well, what’s the underlying issue of drug addiction, it’s normally trauma,” he said.

Manser, who was first sent to an adult prison at age 17, founded The Voice of a Survivor to help victims achieve justice through the legal system — and ensure they are not treated like “a commodity”.

“They’re not like car crash victims or anything like that. They’re people that are severely broken and have no trust in the system. They don’t trust lawyers. They don’t trust judges. They don’t trust the judiciary system because often the judicial system played a big part in getting the abuse they did,” he said.

Manser doesn’t believe paedophiles can be cured and thinks precious resources are being wasted trying to do that in prison.

“I don’t understand how and why these programs can possibly work (and) why they’re not putting those resources into the victims of these people. You know, the survivors who are highly addicted to drugs who’ve had their lives turned upside down because of the actions of these grubs,” he said.

For more details about the Predatory podcast, go to predatory.com.au

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Originally published as Predatory Podcast: Former inmate Russell Manser reveals how child sex offenders are protected in jail