oh he’s still my beating heart
oh thank you very much suited ex-mob I’d
like to acknowledge the gadigal your
country upon which we stand here today
and and I honor their elders past and
present of all those people here all of
you people here I thank you very much
for coming along and hearing my little
raver okay now I’ve got me notes I am I
am Jack Charles many of you know me as
as a serial pest nuisance in Melbourne
there’s one of the the noted thieves of
Melbourne so and I have a long extended
criminal record 22 times incarcerated
I’ve got 22 mug shots lying in the
victorian prison systems volts and I’m
proud that I’m a survivor with those
photos and I’m a member of The Stolen
Generation don’t survivor as I said
spent many my time in jail jail was a
useful tool for me if a scum kind of the
rest light from man from my activities
of being on the streets being homeless
and being addicted to heroin and etc so
it was always a measure of respite
always being bastard thank God I was
sleeping in a bed and I had something to
do in jail
I taught ceramic ax in prisons that was
my job I started a pottery shop in
prison I taught a psycho ceramic er
because you have to be a you know a you
know a a crackpot to be in the Nick in
the first place and
and now the topic of I’d like to talk
about is the year the seriousness of our
youth detention centers and there’s a
crisis where crisis point with the Don
Dale that has been that you know in the
press of late and also a Victorian
prisons youth detention centers now the
media says they’re the worst of the
worst kids I know many of these worst of
the worst kids they’re related to me so
I have an obligation as an elder now
beyond reproach to returned into prisons
and youth detention centers to be a
player in this field
it’s confounding to me that my past
criminal record you know is a can become
an a bit of an impediment but by the
good-willed nor the grace of the
management of the new training centers
and and the prisons the governor’s our
prisons are being allowed to sneak in
under the radar and I’ve been allowed to
unleash myself upon though they’re
sufferers that are doing time behind
bars okay so there is a problem a you
system it’s paleness the human services
were incapable of dealing with the the
riots that happened in Parkville and
mom’s brief so there is a transitioning
from the Department of Human Services on
to the office of Corrections to contain
and the the wild kids running amok and
rioting and etc I seriously wish
reflecting on my past that I would
dearly love to have somebody like myself
somebody with the lived experiences a
local elder to come in and tweak my
conscience to implore me yeah and and
and to you know leave me on a path
towards a you know a better future
everybody knows that I’ve been you know
a player on the stage since I was 19 and
I lost a lot of work by doing a lot of
jail time you know every time between a
jail sentence I managed to be employed
gainfully by television organizations or
a film
or a theater company to perform nowadays
when they see me they realized that
there they’re employing somebody that is
performing with no.2 in his system and
this is an honorable thing they see a
better performance coming out of me so
when there is a seriously lack of elder
local elders influence in our prisons
I’d now like to undertake the
responsibilities of pulling together the
key stakeholders in Victoria are on a
roundtable discussion calling and Danny
Boy Daniel Andrews our premier and
office of Corrections people even a
young fellow who’s done his time I’d
like him to be at the table to bash out
a way where the system can rely on us
the elders trust us that we can save
lives we can turn lives around if we
were given the opportunity it’s been a
struggle ever since I came out in 2006
finish off Pastor David oak oh it’s been
a you know my urge to return to prisons
and at every opportunity are taken
advantage of this the offer I’ve snuck
in under the radar recently into the
adult prisons as I said and the youth
training centers by the Good Will and
Grace from that you know so well I’d
like to you know to be in a position
where I could be at the gate to pick
these fellows up these girls and boys up
from prisons and taken to a place of
sanctuary maybe they have to fulfill
parole obligations we can put them in
into a an established organization down
in Victoria at the moment in the country
on calling nations country an old jail
my favourite old country jail you can
have favourites by the way and and and
end to to have them stay there and to
clean their act up set their minds free
reeducate them you know push a little
bit of blackness that back into their
trams and trains and that reconnect them
to culture kinship communities family
ties and can lure etc I believe this
would reduce the amount of prison
in our youth training centers ladies and
gentlemen our youth detention centers is
failing us so you need the likes of me
men with the lived experiences have the
passion to go back into prisons there’s
not many of us that have the passion to
go back into prisons and to be a key
player that so now I’m gonna be honored
not only to be uncle Archie roaches
special roving ambassador but to be a
board member I believe this is where
we’re gonna start from uncle Archie
Roach and I and a few others will be
will you come onto the stage Archie and
trade Pilkington because we’re gonna
sing a song ladies and gentlemen give me
a so on while they’re setting up is this
I’d like to inform you that we were
there last year when the riot started in
Parkville it was an eye-opener for me I
was in the middle of asking one of my
cousin’s as a matter of fact why they
are conducting what are the units and
that was all that flashing going on and
he straight up said to me they said so
they’re in lockdown
too many lockdowns uncle so well can you
do something about it than that and next
thing i suddenly realized that they were
running around with iron bars and we
were suddenly surrounded by Department
of Human Services security and that’s no
one so I witnessed for myself I see the
problems Artie saw it so that’s why I’m
working hard with uncle Archie Roach in
his foundation sweet thank you
[Applause]
we went far I’m doing a poll Kelley big
if you burn too heavy that it’s gonna
break you and you might go crashing to
the ground
just keep yourself steady head and don’t
let it take you take you on down take
him down
our minute beside you
don’t you forget it
I’m with you walking down the road
[Music]
he was requited together we had lined in
love
[Music]
we won’t ride
[Music]
we will lift our spirits high
[Music]
it is a sign for me
I was in trouble
I want to do this
[Music]
you were so stubborn
[Music]
you
[Music]
we won’t cry
[Music]
spirits
up to
[Music]
Oh
we won’t cry
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
I delighted to get of them
[Applause]
[Music]
oh thank you very much suited ex-mob I’d
like to acknowledge the gadigal your
country upon which we stand here today
and and I honor their elders past and
present of all those people here all of
you people here I thank you very much
for coming along and hearing my little
raver okay now I’ve got me notes I am I
am Jack Charles many of you know me as
as a serial pest nuisance in Melbourne
there’s one of the the noted thieves of
Melbourne so and I have a long extended
criminal record 22 times incarcerated
I’ve got 22 mug shots lying in the
victorian prison systems volts and I’m
proud that I’m a survivor with those
photos and I’m a member of The Stolen
Generation don’t survivor as I said
spent many my time in jail jail was a
useful tool for me if a scum kind of the
rest light from man from my activities
of being on the streets being homeless
and being addicted to heroin and etc so
it was always a measure of respite
always being bastard thank God I was
sleeping in a bed and I had something to
do in jail
I taught ceramic ax in prisons that was
my job I started a pottery shop in
prison I taught a psycho ceramic er
because you have to be a you know a you
know a a crackpot to be in the Nick in
the first place and
and now the topic of I’d like to talk
about is the year the seriousness of our
youth detention centers and there’s a
crisis where crisis point with the Don
Dale that has been that you know in the
press of late and also a Victorian
prisons youth detention centers now the
media says they’re the worst of the
worst kids I know many of these worst of
the worst kids they’re related to me so
I have an obligation as an elder now
beyond reproach to returned into prisons
and youth detention centers to be a
player in this field
it’s confounding to me that my past
criminal record you know is a can become
an a bit of an impediment but by the
good-willed nor the grace of the
management of the new training centers
and and the prisons the governor’s our
prisons are being allowed to sneak in
under the radar and I’ve been allowed to
unleash myself upon though they’re
sufferers that are doing time behind
bars okay so there is a problem a you
system it’s paleness the human services
were incapable of dealing with the the
riots that happened in Parkville and
mom’s brief so there is a transitioning
from the Department of Human Services on
to the office of Corrections to contain
and the the wild kids running amok and
rioting and etc I seriously wish
reflecting on my past that I would
dearly love to have somebody like myself
somebody with the lived experiences a
local elder to come in and tweak my
conscience to implore me yeah and and
and to you know leave me on a path
towards a you know a better future
everybody knows that I’ve been you know
a player on the stage since I was 19 and
I lost a lot of work by doing a lot of
jail time you know every time between a
jail sentence I managed to be employed
gainfully by television organizations or
a film
or a theater company to perform nowadays
when they see me they realized that
there they’re employing somebody that is
performing with no.2 in his system and
this is an honorable thing they see a
better performance coming out of me so
when there is a seriously lack of elder
local elders influence in our prisons
I’d now like to undertake the
responsibilities of pulling together the
key stakeholders in Victoria are on a
roundtable discussion calling and Danny
Boy Daniel Andrews our premier and
office of Corrections people even a
young fellow who’s done his time I’d
like him to be at the table to bash out
a way where the system can rely on us
the elders trust us that we can save
lives we can turn lives around if we
were given the opportunity it’s been a
struggle ever since I came out in 2006
finish off Pastor David oak oh it’s been
a you know my urge to return to prisons
and at every opportunity are taken
advantage of this the offer I’ve snuck
in under the radar recently into the
adult prisons as I said and the youth
training centers by the Good Will and
Grace from that you know so well I’d
like to you know to be in a position
where I could be at the gate to pick
these fellows up these girls and boys up
from prisons and taken to a place of
sanctuary maybe they have to fulfill
parole obligations we can put them in
into a an established organization down
in Victoria at the moment in the country
on calling nations country an old jail
my favourite old country jail you can
have favourites by the way and and and
end to to have them stay there and to
clean their act up set their minds free
reeducate them you know push a little
bit of blackness that back into their
trams and trains and that reconnect them
to culture kinship communities family
ties and can lure etc I believe this
would reduce the amount of prison
in our youth training centers ladies and
gentlemen our youth detention centers is
failing us so you need the likes of me
men with the lived experiences have the
passion to go back into prisons there’s
not many of us that have the passion to
go back into prisons and to be a key
player that so now I’m gonna be honored
not only to be uncle Archie roaches
special roving ambassador but to be a
board member I believe this is where
we’re gonna start from uncle Archie
Roach and I and a few others will be
will you come onto the stage Archie and
trade Pilkington because we’re gonna
sing a song ladies and gentlemen give me
a so on while they’re setting up is this
I’d like to inform you that we were
there last year when the riot started in
Parkville it was an eye-opener for me I
was in the middle of asking one of my
cousin’s as a matter of fact why they
are conducting what are the units and
that was all that flashing going on and
he straight up said to me they said so
they’re in lockdown
too many lockdowns uncle so well can you
do something about it than that and next
thing i suddenly realized that they were
running around with iron bars and we
were suddenly surrounded by Department
of Human Services security and that’s no
one so I witnessed for myself I see the
problems Artie saw it so that’s why I’m
working hard with uncle Archie Roach in
his foundation sweet thank you
[Applause]
we went far I’m doing a poll Kelley big
if you burn too heavy that it’s gonna
break you and you might go crashing to
the ground
just keep yourself steady head and don’t
let it take you take you on down take
him down
our minute beside you
don’t you forget it
I’m with you walking down the road
[Music]
he was requited together we had lined in
love
[Music]
we won’t ride
[Music]
we will lift our spirits high
[Music]
it is a sign for me
I was in trouble
I want to do this
[Music]
you were so stubborn
[Music]
you
[Music]
we won’t cry
[Music]
spirits
up to
[Music]
Oh
we won’t cry
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
I delighted to get of them
[Applause]
[Music]
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