Schapelle Corby Approved for Parole

By Jeralyn, Section Foreign Affairs
Posted on Sun Aug 18, 2013 at 08:05:00 AM EST
Tags: Schapelle Corby (all tags)

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Update here.

The Bali Corrections Board approved Schapelle Corby for parole Friday. The remaining paperwork could take a few months, and while not a guarantee, it seems she will be released. She has to remain in Indonesia until a year after her sentence expires in 2015, and will live with her sister Mercedes. In March, the Australian Government gave Indonesia a guarantee she would not not violate parole.

Schapelle Corby has been imprisoned since her arrest in October, 2004. She was sentenced to 20 years in 2005, later reduced to 15. She became eligible for parole in 2012. [More...]

Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs wrote in the March, 2013 press release announcing its guarantee:

Under Indonesian law, prisoners have the right to apply for parole after serving two thirds of their sentence. While 16 foreigners have been paroled in Indonesia, none have successfully been granted parole in Bali.

...Indonesia's parole regulations also impose additional conditions for granting of parole to prisoners convicted on narcotics offences. As well as serving two thirds the sentence and demonstrating good behaviour, a prisoner must also demonstrate a 'willingness to cooperate with law enforcement officials' to 'expose' other individuals involved in the commission of their crime.

Australia continues to seek a prisoner transfer agreement with Indonesia. Indonesian does not currently have prisoner transfer agreements with any country, meaning gaol terms and parole must be served within Indonesia.

All of our coverage of Schapelle since 2005 is available here.

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Schapelle Corby Approved for Parole | 18 comments (18 topical)

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Yay (5.00 / 2) (#2)
by squeaky on Sun Aug 18, 2013 at 09:03:57 AM EST

It is about time... what a travesty.

She (5.00 / 2) (#3)
by lentinel on Sun Aug 18, 2013 at 10:02:20 AM EST

claimed that the pot had been planted by corrupt baggage handlers.

But even if that were not the case, that someone should be sent to jail for 20 years for possessing pot - even four pounds of it - seems so cruel and stupid it makes me want to scream.

I wish we could set an example nationally as Colorado has locally and legalize it.

That would go a long way to ending this nightmare that victimizes folks for smoking flowers.

It has been awhile since we have led by example.
This would be a great way to start.

At least (5.00 / 2) (#4)
by NYShooter on Sun Aug 18, 2013 at 03:26:05 PM EST

things are beginning to move in the right direction.....Colorado & Washington towards decriminalization, quite a few others regarding medical usage, and, others towards downplaying arrests for possession. Hopefully, critical mass will be reached soon and MJ persecution, on a national level, will join other disgraces into the dust bin of history.


Shooter, I would feel (5.00 / 2) (#7)
by Zorba on Sun Aug 18, 2013 at 05:13:10 PM EST

a whole lot better about the states here who have legalized marijuana use, either for personal use or medical use, if the DEA was not still raiding those marijuana growers where it was perfectly legal in those states. We may be moving in the right direction, but the battle is far from over. After all, we thought that abortion rights were solved after Roe v. Wade, but we're still having to battle this, state by state. Not to mention the weakening of the Voting Rights Act by the Supreme Court. Not that we are anything like Bali. But we still have a long way to go.


Are we married? (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by NYShooter on Sun Aug 18, 2013 at 11:50:06 PM EST

I'm sitting here, muttering to myself, "yes dear; of course dear, you're right dear....."

lol, but, I was very careful to say, "right direction."

Look, we're in a life & death struggle between normal, average, halfway intelligent people on one side (although I'm not quite sure about you... hee, hee) and the 1%'ers, Tea Party types, and the police state on the other.

No one said it was going to be easy. But, neither was Independence, Suffrage, Civil Rights, Women's Rights, LGBT Rights, and the list goes on.

But, like you, I can take care of myself. And, as long as each day is a teeny, tiny bit better than the day before.....well, I'll take it.

And, "I do solemnly swear............."


What's puzzling to me (none / 0) (#14)
by Mikado Cat on Mon Aug 19, 2013 at 05:41:06 PM EST

is why the fed is still so actively going after pot?

I don't see this as an ideological move, or a civic need, so why are they doing it? Distraction?

Seems to me a fair amount of support exists for legalizing within the conservative community both on government has no business outlawing it as well as personal liberty issues. Tea Party may actually be the first major political group to flip to the legalize side.

A little funny to me when you consider pot isn't exactly illegal, it just requires a permit or something that can't be obtained.


It's not really so puzzling (none / 0) (#15)
by sj on Tue Aug 20, 2013 at 01:48:57 AM EST

if you look askance at the official rationale and then realize how many pharmaceuticals could actually be replaced by a plant. That billions of dollars to Big Pharma.


: Could be (none / 0) (#18)
by Mikado Cat on Tue Aug 20, 2013 at 07:01:18 PM EST

For pot to be treated as a drug, FDA is going to want to see clinical trials all that sort of thing.
I suspect the last thing the government wants is for the general public to be self diagnosing and self medicating.

Not only cruel (none / 0) (#1)
by MKS on Sun Aug 18, 2013 at 08:32:40 AM EST

but foolish and hypocritical.

The Aussies spend many holidays in Bali. It is relatively close to the land of Oz and even middle class Aussies can go there.

Bali is not some righteous colony of sobriety. The clubs there make a lot of money off alcohol, and cater to binge drinking. There is a lot of nudity on the beaches. And corresponding hanky panky in public.....

NO NO NO (none / 0) (#5)
by John Mark on Sun Aug 18, 2013 at 04:38:26 PM EST

Your report is absolutely incorrect.

The bad news is that this is just the first stage. The approval in Bali is eventually sent to Jakarta.

The final decision will be make by the ministry in Jakarta.

You are reporting this as though the final decision has been made. It hasn't. That is many months off and may be a rejection.

Could you correct this? You can confirm this through the Expendable Project, from the Indonesions, or from the Corby family itself.

Thanks.

We don't even need (none / 0) (#6)
by Mikado Cat on Sun Aug 18, 2013 at 04:44:13 PM EST

to fly, this sort of thing happens all the time in Mexico, but they have a more fixed bribe schedule so people don't spend a lot of time in jail.

: Yeah... (5.00 / 1) (#11)
by ScottW714 on Mon Aug 19, 2013 at 09:38:49 AM EST

...my buddy got busted taking a leak in an alley in Matamoros, Mexico. The cops picked him up and escorted him to the ATM so he could pay the fine/bribe on the spot.
It happened so quick, the rest of us didn't even know he was gone. To me that is far more preferred than even the US, where there is a real good chance one would spend the night in the 'drunk tank', which rumor has it in Houston is not a real fun time.
But back to Corby. Whatever the injustice, it's not going to even give back her time, but the fact that it's finally coming to a conclusion has got to be the best news she received since her bust.
Locking people up for decades over something that can be grown just about anywhere is crazy. The Indonesian criminal justice system is even crazier, seems like a place where logic and reasoning is left at the door for pounds and pounds of flesh.
Seems like a place the law and order types would really love, none of the pesky US view of being innocent and no mercy whatsoever.

: my understanding from 3 different lawyers in news (none / 0) (#9)
by Jeralyn on Mon Aug 19, 2013 at 05:45:52 AM EST

articles is that it will be a rubber stamp. The time lag is for them to get all the documents together. The prison officials support her release becasue she's become more participatory in jail activities. She did get another 6 month sentence cut this weekend. I'm convinced she will go an the other approval will be forthcoming.

"The prison officials support her release... (none / 0) (#10)
by unitron on Mon Aug 19, 2013 at 09:01:00 AM EST

...becasue (sic) she's become more participatory in jail activities."

What does that even mean?

Is she making moves towards organizing a prisoners' union and they want her gone?

Is she pretending they were right in putting her in there in the first place and acting more contrite and co-operative?

I interpret it along the lines of your last line (5.00 / 1) (#12)
by ruffian on Mon Aug 19, 2013 at 01:15:20 PM EST

Much like our parole boards prefer an admission of guilt and contrition as well.

Have no idea if she is pretending at all, but I don't blame her for doing whatever it takes to get out of there.


: Neither do I (none / 0) (#13)
by sj on Mon Aug 19, 2013 at 04:56:45 PM EST

And, by the way, I find that parole board requirement to be insidiously evil.

Working for her brother (none / 0) (#16)
by BMN on Tue Aug 20, 2013 at 03:36:27 AM EST

Rummor is she will design a swim wear line for her brothers surf shop...can i suggest "Banged up a board" (sic)

: She Should Design... (none / 0) (#17)
by ScottW714 on Tue Aug 20, 2013 at 12:57:28 PM EST

...some sort of security measures for bags, maybe a tiny camera, or make them see through, or lock real tight so no one else has to repeat her nightmare.