Today marks the 30th anniversary since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody delivered its findings and recommendations. Little has changed in that long period of time, Despite Aboriginal Australians only amounting to 3% of the population they account for 30% of the nations prisoners. Despite the good intentions of governments, both state and federal of all persuasions, more than 100 recommendations of the 1991 royal commission are as yet to be implemented. About 60% of the 339 recommendations have been fully implemented.

It is estimated than at least 450 Indigenous people have died in custody in the past 30 years, probably a lot more. "This is a national disgrace," Labor senator Pat Dodson said. Senator Dodson was one of the inquiry's five commissioners back in 1991. "If the political leadership at the top doesn't get itself into gear very shortly, we're going to have a real crisis on our hands, similar to what we had back at the time of the royal commission. Thirty years on, we've got nearly 500 people who have died and we're starting to get the same feeling that there's neglect, that people don't care, [that] there's irresponsibility. We're not in a national crisis in the sense of people dying because of the actions of a prison guard or a police officer. Where we do have the crisis is the underlying issues that impact the rates of incarceration." Dodson said.

What are the causes of these deaths ?
What brings these indigenous to the attention of the Police ?
I have seen many,many indigenous walk or drive down the street & not once were any of them pulled over for doing nothing unusual. Same goes for all people.
So, is the Police guilty of taking notice of apparent criminal behaviour ?
I have seen non-indigenous crapheads behaving like crapheads & they got the attention of the Police. I find absolutely nothing wrong with that.
I heard recently that more non-indigenous kill themselves in custody. I have also heard that there are more non-indigenous inmates than indigenous.
So, if there are say 4 out of 10 non-indigenous committing crime & 5 out of 10 indigenous committing crime than isn't it not just logical but also natural that the latter have a higher incarceration rate ?
Wherein lies the problem then ?

Dear Paul,

The 30th Anniversary of the 1991 Royal Commission into
Aboriginal deaths in custody contained numerous
recommendations for reform. Unfortunately they
haven't been fully implemented. Human Rights Watch said
that there is still a pressing need for adequate and
culturally appropriate mental health support for
prisoners. They stated that the government should act
to prevent prison deaths by improving services and support.

For example one of the things mentioned was that the
government should make it a priority to end solitary
confinement for people with disabilities and raise the age of
criminal responsibility from 10 to at least 14.

Human Rights Watch also stated that Aboriginal people should
be imprisoned only as a last resort.

It is a serious crisis - but one that should no longer be
ignored or brushed aside. People are dying.

Yawn. Staying out of jail in the first place is the only recommendation that needs to be taken up or acted on.

Hi Foxy,

The short sighted answer is something like; "Staying out of jail in the first place is the only recommendation that needs to be taken up or acted on." What those who say that don't realise is the problem will not go away whilst ever there is massive disadvantage in the Aboriginal community. Too many are born into an environment where through no fault of their own the natural progression leads to "breaking the white mans law" and then the only outcome which society accepts is imprisonment.

The starting point should be a hard look at the 'juvenile justice' system where indigenous children are way over represented. In 2019 indigenous kids made up only 6% of those aged 10-17 but 54% of the juvenile detention population. They are imprisoned at a rate 22 times greater than non-indigenous kids, in a place like the NT its far higher. This contact with juvenile justice invariable leads to later incarceration as an adult criminal. Very young offenders 10-12 years of age are almost certain (94%) of returning to jail by the age of 18.

Should we continue to bury our heads in the sand and ignore the problem? Maybe the hard line approach of "lock em' up, and throw away the the key" is what's needed. Well, that approach has been tried, and it resulted in more lock ups, and more keys!

Paul, its been a while but im interested in this topic.
Are you aware of how a death in custody is determined?

For the record, according to police associate of mine it refers to a person who is intercepted by police and dies within a 48hr period.

This can be anything from a street search, pulled up for riding a bicycle without a helmet, apprehended for shop lifting or other minor crime, or even a car chase that was called off, and of cause a death while in a cell/watch house.

People really have to stop dramatizing this issue for political gain or even grandstanding as it is widely misrepresented.