Newsletter date: 6 March 2014
Contents:
* Amy McQuire, Tracker: The Lost Generations
* NATSILS: Good intentions aren't enough to close the gap
* National Congress: Justice Targets: Crucial drivers of change
* ANTaR: Justice Targets are needed for action on Aboriginal Jobs and Education
* NAAJA: Australia’s prison spend is a cost we cannot sustain
* The Stringer: Gerry Georgatos speaks outside Redfern Police Station - T.J. Hickey rally 2014
* Peter Boyle, Green Left: Photos: Justice for T J Hickey 10th anniversary protest
* Kaitlyn Offer, Perth Now: District Court Chief Judge Peter Martino says mandatory sentencing fosters injustice
* Marg Gleeson, Green Left: Calls for police to be charged over Qld taser attack
* Background to Justice Reinvestment, Aboriginal imprisonment and Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
* AMY MCQUIRE, TRACKER: THE LOST GENERATIONS
- Analysis / Opinion
agendaTracker: The Lost Generations
http://tracker.org.au/2014/03/the-lost-generations/
3 Mar 14: "NATIONAL: Across New South Wales we are losing a generation of children to prison. It’s an urgent problem because these are our future leaders, writes AMY MCQUIRE*." By Amy McQuire, the editor of Tracker magazine, a Darumbal and South Sea Islander woman
* NATSILS: GOOD INTENTIONS AREN'T ENOUGH TO CLOSE THE GAP
- Media Release
NATSILS: Good intentions aren't enough to close the gap
[NATSILS: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services]
http://www.natsils.org.au/News/MediaReleases.aspx
http://www.natsils.org.au/portals/natsils/Media%20Releases/3-3-14%20NATS...
3 Mar 14: "Today the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS) invite Prime Minister Tony Abbott to match his good intent with firm commitment and action.
NATSILS Chairperson, Shane Duffy, said that the Prime Minister has demonstrated his best intent towards addressing the disadvantage faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples but that what is needed now is turning good intentions into strong leadership and real action.
"Mr Abbott has repeatedly talked about his commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and has demonstrated such by moving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs into the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet where it can receive the attention it requires," Mr Duffy said.
"While these initial steps are good signs that his intent and commitment are genuine, we are now reaching the point where the public are expecting greater leadership and definitive action.""
* NATIONAL CONGRESS: JUSTICE TARGETS: CRUCIAL DRIVERS OF CHANGE
- News
National Congress of Australia's First Peoples: Justice Targets: Crucial drivers of change
https://nationalcongress.com.au/justice-targets-crucial-drivers-of-change/
3 Mar 14: "The National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples has renewed its calls for specific targets relating to justice in order to drive national action under the Australian Government’s Closing the Gap strategy. In Opposition, Senator Nigel Scullion said the Coalition was in favour of developing a Closing the Gap target around justice, as part of national efforts to address the alarming and growing over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the justice system. "Congress urges Senator Scullion, now as Indigenous Affairs Minister, to follow through on this commitment," said Congress Co-Chair Kirstie Parker, who is also Co-Chair of the Close the Gap Campaign."
* ANTaR: JUSTICE TARGETS ARE NEEDED FOR ACTION ON ABORIGINAL JOBS AND EDUCATION
- News
ANTaR: Justice Targets are needed for action on Aboriginal Jobs and Education.
http://antar.org.au/news/justice-targets-are-needed-action-aboriginal-jo...
http://antar.org.au/reports/justice-targets-are-needed-action-aboriginal...
http://antar.org.au/sites/default/files/final_media_release_antar_suppor...
3 Mar 14: "ANTaR supports the calls made today by the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS) and the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples for the Governments of Australia to adopt Justice Targets. Dr Lewis said that the Abbott Government has a commitment to improving Aboriginal education and employment, but the continued high rates of incarceration are a major barrier to achieving it."
* NAAJA: AUSTRALIA'S PRISON SPEND IS A COST WE CANNOT SUSTAIN
- Media Release
NAAJA: Australia’s prison spend is a cost we cannot sustain
[NAAJA: North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency]
http://www.naaja.org.au/index.php/news/media-releases.html
http://www.naaja.org.au/index.php/component/attachments/download/168.html
29 Jan 14: "The Productivity Commission Report on Government Services, released 29 January 2013, raises alarm bells about the unsustainable spend on prisons across Australia. This is draining money from needy budget areas like health and education and is failing to make our community safer because it is not addressing why people offend.
The Productivity Commission report notes that Australia’s prisons are at 96% capacity. Some are operating beyond capacity. If prisons are at or over capacity, their ability to provide rehabilitation
programs, education, employment opportunities and ensure the wellbeing of prisoners is inevitably compromised. ...
The Productivity Commission Report also makes clear that the proportion of Aboriginal people in Australian jails vastly exceeds that of non-Aboriginal people. While Indigenous people make up
around 2% of Australia’s population, they provide 27.5% of the prison population. In the Northern Territory, Aboriginal people make up 30% of the overall population, yet 84% of adults in prison and
98% of young people in detention.
This is a national outrage."
* THE STRINGER: GERRY GEORGATOS SPEAKS OUTSIDE REDFERN POLICE STATION - T.J. HICKEY RALLY 2014
- Analysis / Opinion & Audio
The Stringer: Gerry Georgatos speaks outside Redfern Police Station - T.J. Hickey rally 2014
The Stringer: http://thestringer.com.au/gerry-georgatos-speaks-outside-redfern-police-...
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/the-stringer/gerry-georgatos-speaking
1 Mar 14: "The State Government of New South Wales has again ignored calls to apologise to the family of TJ Hickey despite a loud and angry protest by about 700 friends and supporters. The protest march to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the death of TJ Hickey was marked once again by his mother, family, friends and supporters calling for justice, a call for rights and a call for an apology for the actions of police which led to TJ’s tragic death in Redfern in 2004. Courtesy of The National Indigenous Times - by Geoff Bagnall" By The Stringer
* PETER BOYLE, GREEN LEFT: PHOTOS: JUSTICE FOR TJ HICKEY 10TH ANNIVERSARY PROTEST
- Photos
Green Left: Photos: Justice for T J Hickey 10th anniversary protest
https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/55888
15 Feb 14: ""February 14 is celebrated as a day of of love by many people, but for us it is a day of grief" said one of the Aboriginal speakers at the start of the rally and march to mark the 10th anniversary of the killing of Aboriginal youth TJ Hickey in a police pursuit in Redfern. The protest began at the spot in where TJ was impaled on a fence after being thrown off his bicycle. The Hickey family, including mother Gail, where out in force. "Its been 10 long years but I am not giving up the fight," she said. Photos below by Peter Boyle" By GLW author Peter Boyle, Sydney
* KAITLYN OFFER, PERTH NOW: DISTRICT COURT CHIEF JUDGE PETER MARTINO SAYS MANDATORY SENTENCING FOSTERS INJUSTICE
- News
Perth Now: District Court Chief Judge Peter Martino says mandatory sentencing fosters injustice
http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/district-court-chief-j...
1 Mar 14: "ONE of WA’s top judges has slammed mandatory sentencing - saying it just increases the risk of injustice. District Court Chief Judge Peter Martino told a recent Law Society of WA event that any reduction in sentencing discretion "increases injustice, rather than decreases". He also pointed to a recent article by The Economist, which found that housing inmates jailed under mandatory sentencing cost the US $1.8 billion and racial minorities were most likely to be imprisoned." Kaitlyn Offer
* MARG GLEESON, GREEN LEFT: CALLS FOR POLICE TO BE CHARGED OVER QLD TASER ATTACK
- Analysis / Opinion
Green Left: Calls for police to be charged over Qld taser attack
https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/55982
1 Mar 14: "Police have not responded to a petition Taser victim Sheila Oakley handed to them a week ago. In response, a community assembly was held outside Logan police station on February 22. Oakley was in hospital and could not attend the rally. Paul Butterworth, an Aboriginal elder who had called the assembly, told the crowd: "We will keep coming back until something’s done about this." By GLW author Marg Gleeson
* BACKGROUND TO JUSTICE REINVESTMENT, ABORIGINAL IMPRISONMENT AND ABORIGINAL DEATHS IN CUSTODY:
Last updated: 1 March 2014
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/12/17/background-to-aboriginal-imprisonment...
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