Derryn Hinch released from prison but feels justified

Derryn Hinch has been released after spending 50 nights locked up for failing to pay a fine after breaching a suppression order about Melbourne woman, Jill Meagher’s killer.

He was released just after 8am this morning and said to Channel Seven’s Sunrise outside jail that he was, ‘‘a bit emotional, a bit shaken’’.

Asked if he was harassed by other prisoners, Hinch said, ‘‘for the first few days, because I had shaved the beard, nobody really knew who I was’’.

‘‘But, yeah, the guards and other guys treated me pretty well but it was no picnic,’’ he said. ‘‘You are talking strip searches, bend over the whole lot.

‘‘And to wake up on your 70th birthday and have a guard saying happy birthday, it was tough.’’

Derryn served the majority of his sentence in 23-hour lockdown in maximum security by his request, after he said he was worried for his safety and health.

During his 50-night prison stay he said he spent his time working on his campaign, Protect Our Children, that calls for a public sex offenders register.

He said, ‘‘the rights of convicted sex offenders seem to take precedence over victims’ rights’’.

‘‘Especially with paedophiles,’’ Hinch said. ‘‘Serial sex offenders have their names, photos and addresses, suppressed by the courts on release.

‘‘Unlike Megan’s Law in the United States, communities have no knowledge as to who they are or where they are. A public register is a right and a national duty that is long overdue.’’

The petition has attracted more than 42,600 signatures to date.

‘‘I feel justified [for choosing to go to prison],’’ he said on Friday. ‘‘I’ve come out of a place [where] 93 per cent are sex offenders.

‘‘I know what these men look like, but when they come out you won’t.’’

Hinch said that he would devote his time to making sure the sex offenders register came to fruition.

He also said since Jill Meahger’s murder and subsequent toughening up of parole laws, ‘‘it has made a real difference.’’

‘‘Blokes aren’t just going out minimum time now,’’ he said. ‘‘It is a lot tougher and everyone [inside] is talking about doing minimum plus.’’

Hinch had said before going to jail that recent cases had prompted him to send a message to the judiciary.

“I’ll go to jail for 50 days to draw attention to all the suspended sentences for crimes of violence and child pornography, for the obscenely short sentences given to king-hit killers,” he said.

Hinch has previously spent 12 days in jail in 1987 for contempt of court after he revealed pedophile priest Michael Glennon’s prior conviction while a trial was pending.

He also narrowly escaped jail in 2011, and instead was sentenced to five months’ home detention in 2011 after publishing the suppressed identities of sex offenders.

So what do you think about Derryn Hinch’s jail term and do you support his mission to publish the identities of all sex offenders?