LP wouldn’t be the same without your superior afternoon derailing efforts, imo.

And OT – agree with Tigs and SC and others – rule of law with security concerns being the only proper grounds to make these types of decisions.

And what the hell does it matter to anyone without any direct personal involvement in the case that Williams should be taken from his cell for a few hours to some cemetery for a hour and back to prison, probably the only time for the next three/ four decades… are you going to personally monitor his tv watching and gameboy usage for 30 years as well, how many sugars he has in his cuppa? AFAIC, the poor bastards who have to live with/secure these people know well that arbitrary and overly punitive regimes makes their job more dangerous and unpredictable.

Maybe if wingnuts were more supportive of funding for drug outreach, drug rehab programs, further decriminalisation, better juvenile justice programs so kids don’t go to prison the first time, more funding for vocational education and training and so on, they might have a foot in the door, but as usual – make Carl cry is as deep as it goes.

And this doesn’t mean that hardened career crims like Williams won’t come and go as they always have, but reducing their footprint of influence is within our purview.

Andrew E wrote: “Someone’s mother dies every single day.” Bloody hell, does she? Day after day? Gets resurrected each time, then has to die again? The poor lady. That’s a story worthy of a front page. Hold “The Pearly Gates Echo”! Big story coming through…..

It is a security issue. There are people at large who want to kill Carl Williams. There are people who want to spring him from custody, anticipating reward (not necessarily from Williams) for doing so. The Victorian government is under no obligation to make Barbara Williams’ funeral any more of a lightning rod for criminal activity than it is already. There is no reason why the authorities should thrust themselves in harm’s way if this can be avoided.

Arrangements could be made for the hearse to go via the prison for both Williams and his father to participate in a private service. See, there’s my compassion – I recognise the difficulty of this situation and am trying to come up with a solution. If this suggestion doesn’t work – well, I tried and it isn’t my responsibility anyway.

It isn’t true that all prisoners have a right to attend funerals under guard, or that Williams would be the first to be denied this “right”.

Yeah, his mum died. Someone’s mother dies every single day. This would be overwhelming if I thought about this too much.

Yeah, he’s vulgar. I don’t think that counts for much either way.

Yeah, he’s unremorseful. That’s where we wheel in that quality-of-mercy stuff and say: I know you weren’t listening when you first heard this at school, Carl, but now that you know something about forgiveness and punishment you might like to revisit this.