CHRISTMAS SPEND NOTICE

The Christmas period at Fremantle Prison saw some subtle changes in the everyday lives of the prisoners in the late twentieth century. More movies were shown in the evenings, extra activities were available and supplementary items were obtainable on the supplies list. On 11 and 12 December 1990, a Christmas concert was held at the Assessment Centre for prisoners and their families. The store WA Salvage provided presents for the attending children. while the remaining attendees were given presents provided by Outcare, a body that supported prisoner’s families.

In order to purchase their own festive food and supplies, prisoners submitted spend slips. A list of available items and prices was displayed in each divisional yard. Payment was made by gratuities, such as the money earnt by prisoners through their prison work, or by spending a limited amount of cash. Spend slips were usually completed weekly but Christmas spends covered two weeks, with an increased purchase limit of $100. Some planning was required as the Christmas spend slips had to be submitted by December 2, and since prisoners had no means of refrigeration, purchases consisted mainly of preserved foods. Many items were tinned, such as rice cream, fruit salad, oysters, mussels, deli ham, strawberries and cream. Items like HP sauce, chilli sauce and spicy steak sauce were also popular, as such condiments offered the opportunity to customise the standard and often bland food provided.