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I've lost hope of early release from Bali jail |
CINDY WOCKNER, BALI -
May 11, 2009 08:30pm
SCHAPELLE Corby says she doesn't often think about the world outside her Bali jail and no longer has much hope she will soon be freed.
With tears welling during an exclusive interview outside her cell at Bali's Kerobokan Jail she told, however, how she still puts make-up on every day to make herself feel better.
And she showed the intricate beaded necklaces and bracelets she makes to fill in time and keep active and of her hopes that she may be allowed to run a beauty salon and courses inside the jail.
Now was granted rare access to the jail and to the women's block where Corby and fellow Australian, Renae Lawrence of the Bali Nine, are held.
There we found Corby dressed in an elegant long brown dress made by her sister, Mercedes, a sarong draped over her shoulders for the purposes of modesty and wearing make-up.
"You are not supposed to wear singlets," she says of the sarong covering her bare shoulders and back.
For the most part she was cheerful, talking about her ambition to run beauty classes at the jail and about how things have improved since she first got there but when we talked about how she is coping, her hopes for the future, her health and her feelings, Corby's eyes filled with tears and she struggled not to cry.
"I don't think about out there anymore," the 31-year-old said, in reference to the world outside the four walls of the jail.
Asked why she did not think about the outside, she said: "I don't have the answer because I don't think about it anymore."
And asked if she still had any hopes that she would be free soon or that evidence might surface to help prove her innocence of drugs charges Corby struggled with tears: "Not really."
In her cell Corby has a tall plastic set of drawers – it's full, she says, of beads and wire and silver to make necklaces, bracelets, earrings and other jewellery and sent to her by supporters and friends. She is just learning how to do it. Sometimes she can make them quickly. Other times, when she's not feeling so good and is down, it takes a long time.
She gets them to show us. One is a beaded chain for wearing around the head. She says she calls it "Princess Pelle". She then jokes that it should be "Princess of Four Walls" or "Princess of a Shoebox", gesturing toward her cell.
She told how she still "always, always" puts on make-up every day tohelp her feel betterand to stave off feelings of low self-esteem. "You feel so ugly in here. It is the same as if you have ugly underwear. If you have a shower and put on nice underwear, you feel nice," Corby said of her beauty routine.
She wishes she could do more to make her skin better.
It is now almost one year since Corby was hospitalised for two weeks suffering severe depression and she is still on medication to help her cope. And it is clear that coping these days is difficult.
She admits to being up and down, to forgetting things. When we asked about her health now, she shook her head and didn't reply.
Corby says she and the other prisoners are bored and the beauty salon is an ideal way of giving them something on which to focus.
She would mould the training on Australian methods – five or six women being taught on "clients" who would be guards or other prisoners. Corby would get the products from beauty salon suppliers, paying for them herself, and they would eventually charge a minimal fee of $1 or so per treatment in order to cover costs.
"We are all bored, we need something to do. It is not about me and making money and business management."
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Schapelle Corby's teary breakdown behind bars |
Cindy Wockner -
May 12, 2009 12:00am
Corby attends role call with other prisoners.
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SCHAPELLE Corby rarely thinks about life on the outside and has little hope of being freed from her Bali jail any time soon.
With tears welling in her eyes during an exclusive interview outside her cell at Kerobokan Jail, she told how she wears make-up every day to make herself feel better.
Putting on a brave front, Corby told of her hopes of getting permission to run a beauty school inside the jail.
And she showed off the beaded necklaces and bracelets she makes to fill in the endless weeks and months.
The Herald Sun was yesterday granted access to the women's cell block where Corby and fellow Australian Renae Lawrence, of the Bali Nine, are held.
Corby was dressed in an elegant, long, brown dress made by her sister Mercedes, a sarong draped over her shoulders for modesty.
For the most part she was cheerful, talking about her ambition to run beauty classes and how things had improved since she landed in jail four years ago.
But when we talked about how she is coping, her hopes for the future, her health and her feelings, Corby's eyes filled with tears and she struggled not to cry.
"I don't think about out there any more," she said of the world beyond the jail walls.
Asked if she still had hopes of being set free soon or that evidence might surface to help prove her innocent of drugs charges, Corby struggled with tears: "Not really."
But she "always, always" puts on make-up to help her feel better.
"You feel so ugly in here. It is the same as if you have ugly underwear. If you have a shower and put on nice underwear you feel nice," she said.
It is almost a year since Corby spent two weeks in hospital with severe depression. She is still on medication to help her cope.
She admits to being up and down, to forgetting things.
Corby was a beauty therapy student before she was arrested in October 2004 and sentenced to 20 years' jail for trying to import 4.1kg of marijuana to Bali from Australia.
Her proposal to run a beauty school is being considered by prison authorities.
She helps some of the female prisoners hang on to their looks by plucking eyebrows, waxing legs and fixing their hair.
She has massaged the feet and straightened the hair of the prison governor's wife.
Corby said a beauty school would be an ideal way to stave off boredom.
"We are all bored, we need something to do," she said. "It is not about me, and making money and business management."
Corby shares Cell No. 1 with five women.
There are no beds, just mattresses on the floor or on raised platforms.
The 85 women in the block try to make their cells homely. There are posters and pictures on the walls, a fish tank in one cell.
Corby's cell has a set of plastic drawers - full, she says, of beads and wire and silver to make necklaces, bracelets, earrings and other jewellery and sent to her by supporters and friends.
She gets them out to show us. One is a beaded chain for wearing around the head. She calls it "Princess Pelle".
Looking gloomily around her cell, she says it should be "Princess of Four Walls" or "Princess of a Shoebox".
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