Interim conclusions from a PhD researcher in Australian Deaths in Custody

Gerry Georgatos
As my PhD progresses in researching Australian Deaths in Custody - I have visited Immigration Detention Centres - visited adult prisons - interviewed former detainees of the Immigration detention centres network - interviewed former prisoners of adult custodial jurisdictions.

[I have been publishing online and releasing to others - academics and news media - some of my research, questions and conclusions - I believe it is imperative that whatever little I have to contribute is out there sooner rather than later, and through forums such as Indymedia - which is developing fast as a major source of information and communication and which allows for everyone to engage and assist in awareness-raising conversations...]

My research which is seeking to provide evidence based recommendations in reducing Australia's horrific deaths in custody record - police, prison and immigration custodial - is unravelling arguments I would not necessarily have expected that I would be including in my work in that one should not expect an ability or capacity from a former detainee or prisoner who has endured chronic and acute trauma, especially where their thresholds have been 'broken', to be able to recover from it - no matter the intervention and counselling many may never be able to recover from the trauma(s).

1. It is clearly evident that people come out of prisons worse than that what they went in.

2. It is clearly evident that people come out of immigration detention worse than they went in.

3. It is clearly evident Aboriginal peoples have negative stereotypes of police custodial predicaments reinforced by an experience within a police custodial predicament.

4. Tragically, it appears that many who are released from prison custodial and immigration custodial experiences cannot overwhelm levels of trauma which have been induced or developed. It appears that there may not be recovery for many traumas - multiple traumas, acute and chronic.

5. Governments, DIAC and Corrective Services need to launch fully funded research into trauma and 'post'-trauma related studies of the police, prison and immigration custodial related experiences - my research imputes that we should be moving to the prevention of trauma and that intervention alone cannot promise remedy or any positive unfoldings.

6. A separate chapter considers The Military Emergency Response (NT National Emergency Response Bill 2007) in the Northern Territory as custodial-related, and that the prospect of recovery from the trauma described by Aboriginal peoples of the various imposts upon them by the Commonwealth government(s) may not be possible.
- Surprisingly, in wide-ranging interviews, numbering 100 high profile Aboriginal folk, there is support for the Intervention - however how to address the trauma from the implementation of the Intervention is worrisome for even many of the supporters of the Response Action - and many see that the Intervention will now compound rather than improve inter-generational problems. The trauma itself is not compartmentalised to the individual and the evidence is as clear as the light of day that it extends to family members, to the breakdown of family, to community and to the erosion of some of the community's contemporary identity (as unfolded from historical identity). Trauma counselling cannot guarantee containment of trauma.

In February 2008 Marcia Langton who like many others rejected various criticism against the Response Action, said, "Those who did not see the intervention coming were deluding themselves. It was the inevitable outcome of the many failures of policy and the flawed federal-state division of responsibilities for Aboriginal Australians. It was a product of the failure of Northern Territory governments for a quarter of a century to adequately invest the funds they received to eliminate the disadvantages of their citizens in education, health and basic services. It was made worse by general incompetence in Darwin: the public service, non-government sector (including some Aboriginal organisations) and the dead hand of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) all presided over increasingly horrible conditions in Aboriginal communities."

The Emergency Response policy was initially insulated from criticism because of the sensitive nature of the issue and the fact that the national Parliament faces no Constitutional barriers to overruling the Northern Territory government, unlike the governments of Australia's states - this immolated any legitimate scrutiny of the policy, its effects such as trauma and what the thresholds of where that trauma would become irretrievable in reference to amelioration and remedies.

Most of those whom I have interviewed do not understand how to comprehend 'trauma' and its effects. Many who had supported the Emergency Response do not support the Stronger Futures proposition.

Part of my own interim recommendations are: The full suite of funding for the duration of a generation to Aboriginal peoples Australia-wide will eliminate Aboriginal disadvantage. The pay-the-rent proposals suggested by a number of advocates are a sound concept and are proportionate to Gross State Product and Gross Domestic Product.

My research will conclude that the Emergency Response was ill-conceived and damaging, with destructive social reach, and should never have occurred. My research can find no evidence to support the Stronger Futures legislation and that in fact evidence and various testimonies point to the erosion of community and contemporary identities and to the rise in the various traumas described thus far.

Crikey - Deaths in Custody: Why are more prisoners dying from natural causes? - Georgatos rejects the AIC’s claim that the rise in natural cause deaths is “probably linked to an ageing prison population and a prison population with more health problems than the general population”, saying that these “assumptions” need to be validated. “I have deep concerns about the attribution of manner and cause of death and therefore … [about] the classification of deaths in custody,” Georgatos said. “There is nothing natural about a person dying of causes that basic medical intervention could prevent. More than 50% of Aboriginal folk who die in prison are classified as natural cause deaths, [but] maybe what has occurred is that medical attention wasn’t flagged or their insulin dependency was not given proper care or they were maltreated or neglected.”
http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/06/22/deaths-in-custody-why-are-more-priso...

Crikey - Deaths in custody still rising, why? - The rate of death in privatised prisons is far higher than in state prisons, which Georgatos cites as a serious concern given the drive towards privatisation in NSW and other states. “People die in privatised prisons at three times the rate they die in government prisons: 4.5 deaths per 1000 prisoners in privatised prisons in Australia, compared to 1.3 in government prisons,” he said.
http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/04/15/deaths-in-custody-20yrs-after-a-roya...

The Australian - Indonesian children in Australian adult prisons.
Mr Georgatos said he believed the boy graduated from junior high school in 2009, but he was waiting for a statement which would prove his age "beyond reasonable doubt".
He criticised the Australian Federal Police, the Department of Immigration and WA Department of Corrective Service for not trying hard enough to ascertain the boy's age. "I can't see why lawyers, legal authorities, AFP, immigration, did not pick up the goddamn phone and speak to his family," Mr Georgatos said. "Authorities could have ascertained one way or another beyond reasonable doubt he was born in 1995."
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/wa-minister-terry-red...

ABC Drum Interview - Indonesian children in Immigration Detention Centres and in Adult Prisons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOGXgqgpH24

UnderCurrent Interview - Indonesian children in Immigration Detention Centres and in Adult Prisons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei-Jgp68o5g

The West Australian - Boy in adult jail says he is scared - "He is in the adult prison awaiting people-smuggling charges after allegedly working as a cook on a boat that carried 50 asylum seekers to Ashmore Reef in June last year. The boy is understood to be working alongside sex offenders in the prison laundry."
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/9142753/boy-in-adult-jail-says-h...

ABC Radio National Interview - Indonesian children in Australian Adult Prisons
http://blogs.radioaustralia.net.au/english/2011/asia/australia-accused-o...

The Australian - Leonora to house unaccompanied minors - "How can you call a semi-arid location, 830km from Perth, community detention?" he said. "They are too far away from the full suite of services. There isn't a psychologist resident in Leonora or heavy duty medical services."
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/leonora-to-house-refuge...

Sydney Morning Herald - Warning of more detention centre deaths - "These centres are inducing trauma, multiple trauma, self-harm, suicide and multiple suicide attempts, clinical disorders both acute and chronic," he said in a statement.
"Unless the Commonwealth acts promptly with due regard to the rights of our asylum seekers we believe that there will be en masse riots, unnecessary suffering and trauma, and the loss of further lives."
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/warnings-of-more-detention...

The West Australian - Supporters rally for Albany teenager - Human Rights Alliance convenor Gerry Georgatos called for independent police inspectorates which report to the Corruption and Crime Commission or the office of the Attorney-General rather than to the police. "In lieu of the conflicting versions given by witnesses and police, what we need is to have an end to police investigating police," Mr Georgatos said.
"We have never had a successful prosecution into deaths in custody in 30 years where there have been 2056 (and where an unnatural hand by a police or prison officer was involved)." Mr Georgatos, who has done a PHD into Australian deaths in custody, said there was a "culture of cover-ups" in the WA police as demonstrated by the case of Kevin Spratt, who was tasered multiple times by police.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/news/9900903/supporters-rally-for-a...

SBS - "Two decades, too little, too late" - nominated for UN Media Peace and Walkley Awards
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/radio/episode/189049/Two-decades-too-little-t...

The West Australian - Deaths in Custody Still a National Disgrace
"There has been an Aboriginal death in custody somewhere in Australia every month in the past 18 months. For each Aboriginal death in custody, there are eight to 10 non-Aboriginal deaths in custody. Every five days an Australian dies in custody.
How can Australia have one of the world's worst records? For every death in custody, we must acknowledge that there are scores of people maltreated, neglected and suffering."
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/news/10806139/deaths-in-custody-sti...

CAAMA Radio - Aboriginal deaths in custody - Part 1
http://caama.com.au/gerry-georgatos-speaks-on-deaths-in-custody-and-abor...

CAAMA Radio - Aboriginal deaths in custody - Part 2
http://caama.com.au/gerry-georgatos-speaks-further-on-deaths-in-custody-...

Indymedia - Racism gives Australia one of the world's worst deaths in custody records - "...in Detention Centres, where thousands of self harms and attempted suicides are being committed each year. These Detention Centres have been described by psychiatrist Dr Patrick McGorrie, an Australian of the Year, as mental illness factories."
http://linksunten.indymedia.org/de/node/49468

The death of Cameron Mulrunji Doomadgee - "147th Aboriginal death in custody since the RCIADC recommendations 1991"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3_VZ-T5mZI

Gerry Georgatos
Managing Consultant - Education, Training, Advocacy
Human Rights Practice - 0430 657 309
BA (Phil), BA (Med), BA (AIS),
G/Dip (Human Rights Ed), MHumRgts, MA (Social Justice)
Researcher in Australian Deaths in Custody
Journalist - National Indigenous Times, & freelance

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Comments

my friend, gerry georgatos' contribution here shows and explains quite clearly why we need a national death in custody coalition or whatever name it will finally be known as. i doubt if there was ever a term for 'national' in our languages but perhaps there was a term for 'unity' or 'interconnected' or a term that meant 'inter-tribal'. all you language speakers out there perhaps could pass the word back to me.

reading and listening to gerry's piece raises the need to not only restrict ourselves to the deaths in custody of aborigines and torres strait islanders but we must also be aware of all deaths in custody of all peoples within the custodial systems of this country and that must include deaths in custody of asylum seekers in the detention camps set up by federal governments who have lost their way in the issues of human rights.

again, as gerry points out, we need to go beyond just deaths in custody. we must also look squarely at the social justice situations in these custodial systems. we must raise our abhorrence to a system that allows young (under-18) indonesian crew members on the boats arriving in australia to be placed in adult gaols. these crews are not the so-called 'people-smugglers' so hated by governments and other xenophobic racists. these crews are from the desperate indonesian poor and, i would argue, really know nothing about the consequences of their actions except that by their standards they are well paid to crew the boat.

we must remember, as i have so often said, the asylum seekers and their crews have not broken any laws. if they have indeed broken an australian law then it is a bad law and bad laws must always be broken and fought against. everywhere. apartheid was a bad law and it was fought against internationally. segregation in the usa was a bad law and that too was fought against. the nt intervention is a bad law and must also be fought against. it is the unalienable right for people to flee persecution or death in their own countries. that is international law and has been accepted and was signed by the federal government of the time.

during the term of malcolm fraser as prime minister (1975-1983) he welcomed the vietnamese boat people despite, or perhaps because of, most having had some form of collaboration with the usa during the vietnam war. some others undoubtedly were fleeing communism and that too is their right. whether or not malcolm may have presumed they would probably vote liberal is beside the point. he honoured australia by allowing them to take up residence here. all other prime ministers since fraser have erred badly, from hawke to gillard.

if our federal government wants to stop the boats then the answer is easy. hire a cruise ship, go to indonesia and load up and keep doing that until the camps are empty. no more 'people-smugglers', no more sinking boats, (although that never worried howard and his psychopath ministers. remember siev x?), no more world opprobrium. we get good solid middle-class people (being the only ones who can afford to pay the exorbitant fees) and mostly small business types and the economy bounces back. makes sense to me.

but as usual i digress.

in one report of gerry's post there is mention made of a 15 year old indonesian crew member who is in an adult gaol working with sex offenders in the gaol laundry. and why is this youth in an adult gaol? because the authorities do not believe he is 15. they obviously know nothing of an indonesia that works children every day of the week. despite the billions of dollars the indonesian government receives from our governments (because they are many and muslim and must be kept on side) and the usa (to stop the advent of a socialist state) none of this money of course trickles down to the workers and peasants. same as all that 'aboriginal money' we never see.

during the above juvenile incarceration it became headlines here that a 14 year old white australian boy had been arrested for having cannabis on him. our media were outraged that the indonesian authorities would hold a 14 year old in their custody. (a la chapelle corby). our government sprang to attention and following the lead of the verbal vomit made known to indonesia that this was not on whilst quoting no doubt the correct un declarations. what hypocrisy! they have several youngsters from indonesia locked up in adult gaols for breaking no law whilst our 14 year old had to have special treatment in indonesia. again, what hypocrisy!

but this only proves gerry's point that we must be vigilant of the legal excesses our governments perpetrate against not only its own citizens but against other nationals as well. we must make australia proud once more of its stand for human rights at home and abroad.

i especially recommend the music clip at the end of gerry's post on hurley/doomadgee.

fkj

ray jackson
president
indigenous social justice association

isja01@internode.on.net
(m) 0450 651 063
(p) 02 9318 0947
address 1303/200 pitt street waterloo 2017

www.isja.org.au

we live and work on the stolen lands of the gadigal people.

sovereignty treaty social justice

Ray the difference between the Aussie 14year old in a Indonesian prison and a Indonesian boy in a Aussie Prison is the Indonesian Boy will live in better conditions in a Australian prison than he would at home e.g flushing toilet,better meals,TV,Play station,Clean cloths,Free medical, and paid more money in prison than he would of made working on the death boat he came here on but best of all away from his parents that put him on a unseaworthy boat that cared more about the money he would earn than their sons life.The Australian boy got the opposite shit conditions,shit food,etc etc oh and his parents cared enough to try and get him out.

Ray if your people acted like normal human beings there would be no N.T intervention so do your self a favour stop your people abusing children send your kids to school and keep them off the grog they are fuck witts on the grog, then they get locked up and some die but if you don't put yourself in that position in the first place there would be no need for a intervention how hard is that to work out? you are not little children so stop acting like it.Now you will be offended and call me a racist because a lot (not all)of your people make arse holes out of them selves and I pointed it out.

Ray white Man owns Australia now get over it just like my ancestors got over being taken out of their country sent to Australia on the first fleet whipped beaten put into slavery and treated like shit worse than the Aboriginals thats right worse,you have to let go and make the most of life, dwelling on the past is what has fucked your people and you will not get Australia back so it is a waist of time crying about it.
Sorry to be so blunt but thats the truth.

White man you make me laugh with your up front Honesty.You are right about the Indonesian parents if their children are 18years old or under and want their children out of Gaol all they have to do is send a birth certificate or school records to the Australian high commission or consulate in Jakata to prove their age and their children will be sent home,So either these people are not under the age of 19 or their parents want them in gaol to make money $2 a day or they don't give a shit and thats not Australias problem we do the best we can with a wrist bone test to get the age of the person and those who's tests show they are minors are sent home, there have been over 400 so far that have been sent back funded by the Australian tax payer.It is the Indonesian Government that should be acting on behalf of their people so stop blaming Australia we do as much as we can

No Michael, they are not better off in prison, no-one is... Your argument I'd expect from an armchair critic... I am critical of armchair critics and advocates whether they're in academia or from suburbia - if you haven't lived something, known it first hand or from close quarters you don't understand it... I can assure you prison is no bed roses.

Gerry

Gerry if they are not better off in prison why has the families not produced proof of age if they did this would guarantee their release!Either they are not under age or they make more money in a Australian prison than they would at home,Lets face it the only proof you have of these people being under age is their word, something fishy going on Gerry, but being the left wing shit stirrer you are, you will take these criminals word for it right?and remember anyone who is involved in bring people to Australia on these death trap boats are nothing short of criminals for putting peoples lives at risk. Lock them up I don't care about them just the same as they don't care about the people they are smuggling.
Gerry I think you are the arm chair critic how long have you spent in a Indonesian village trying to live life?not long I bet.These Indonesian people have better conditions in a Australian prison than they do at home.Your argument I'd expect from an armchair critic left wing shit stirring Greenie like you Gerry

Most of them have been released because they are under age, and because affidavits were secured. Our courts were prepared to improperly accept age unknown or non-failsafe wrist bone x-ray scans.

They are heroes for helping Asylum Seekers to safe haven, however your prejudices and biases shoved down your throat by various stereotypes and blinkered news media and poor leadership by our parliamentarians has entitled you to your views sadly enough.

I've written volumes on all of this, and I am pretty sure you would have read some of it however it is up agains the challenge of your prejudices - we all hit the world in particular ways and that then determines our form and content.

Gerry so you think these people helped the asylum seekers and are heroes for it?That sums up how stupid you are they smuggle people because it pays better than fishing does they are greedy fucks in it for the money are you that dumb Gerry?And don't talk about safe havens how many countries do these people pass through that are safe?Fucking lots thats how many, they only come to Australia because they are economic asylum seekers.
"I've written volumes on all of this, and I am pretty sure you would have read some of it however it is up agains the challenge of your prejudices"Gerry you have ticket on your self mate the stuff you write is total garbage.And yes I have prejudices and that is against peoples culture look at the Arabs they cover up their women because they can not control their sexual urges what a poor excuse for a human these scum are, they stone women to death for bullshit reasons then you have cultures like the Indians that make their daughters marry who they choose many of these poor girls kill themselves over it, and it is dick heads like you Gerry who want them in this country to fuck our way of life.Is that because you hate white Australia and your loyalty remains in Greece?is this pay back Gerry for all the times you were called a dago wog at school? Bring back the white Australia policy and fuck all the Wogs Gooks Rag Heads off, you lot have fucked this country with your shit culture Oh Gerry do you root your misuss Greek style you sick fuck. I can't have christmas decorations in my town or have bacon at Mc Donalds because I might upset some arab,Jew,gook or some wog cunt, if you don't want to live like a white Australian fuck off back to the shit hole you came from we stole this country off the Abbos and made it the great place it is and we don't need some Greek bastard like you trying to fuck it up.

P.S does you mum and dad speak English or are they like all the other Wogs that have been here for 30+ years and still yick yack away in the shit lingo?

White man you took the words straight out of my mouth, you are a legend White Man

coward like anyone who would call himiself 'white man', you coward 'bwok bwok'
you wouldn't say that to Gerry's face, he is a towering man who is as tough as they come for someone who speaks words of peace

Gerry is a short arse, are you a dwarf kevin?

You get so many things wrongs, and shove one stereotype after another down people's throats, however you are entitled to your views as damaging as they are... Your armchair criticisms are really depressing. You really need to get over yourself and your majorly premise that your ancestors were hard done by and this somehow justifies your vilification of contemporary predicaments. The past and the present are actually removed from each other. Time and space do not actually collapse except in hypotheses.

My ancestors endured similar experiences to yours, and if I had lived then I'd try to comprehend what could be done - we live in the now and the only peoples majorly hard done by on this continent are obvious to any reasonably minded person.

Gerry

Gerry you get so many things wrongs, and shove one stereotype after another down people's throats with all your posts on how hard done by Aboriginal people are done by but refuse to see with their behaviour they bring a lot of their troubles upon them selves however you are entitled to your views as damaging as they are... Your armchair criticisms are really depressing. You really need to get over yourself and your majorly premise that you were hard done by growing up in Australia and this somehow justifies your vilification of contemporary predicaments.

And the only peoples who ruin their lives through drink,child abuse,truancy and dwelling on the past on this continent are obvious to any reasonably minded person.

Gerry

Shane, your racism and other arrogance are your entitlement, your cheap shots are your safeguard, and I have done the lived and first-hand experience - you need to get over yourself and your very obvious armchair recourses, however it has much to do with a collective guilt ridden consciousness bent on various hostilities to deny.

You want to have a conversation then I'm here, you want to be an immature idiot you can continue so.

Kindly, Gerry

Gerry the reason I take the piss is because you dodge the hard questions but I will play your silly game and be serious this once,And try to give you a chance.

Tell us Gerry what do I have to feel guilty about?White People made this country the best country in the world for people who want to get off their arse and work.This place is so good even Greek people like you want to live here !I bet if the Country was left to the Aboriginal people your parents would have never come here right?I don't feel guilty about what happened over two hundred years ago I was not here just like you, and in my time here I have not killed raped or sexualy abused a Aboriginal it would be great if every Aboriginal in Australia could say the same thing! but we both know they can,t because the biggest perpetrators of crime against Aboriginal people is the Aboriginal people themselves.More murders,rapes and sexual abuse done to Aboriginal people is carried out by the Aboriginal people themselves.Then we have the land issue the Government decide that not me or you, so what do I have to feel guilty about?let me know Gerry what, I as a person have to feel guilty about? (this will be interesting).

If it was up to you Gerry who would you have run this country?I take it you would choose aboriginal people because they own the pace according to you, give a list of names that you would fill the cabinet with, who would be prime minister , Treasurer and so on?,go on give us a cabinet of Aboriginal people that could run the country.
"You want to have a conversation then I'm here"Gerry I will give you the chance to have a serious conversation with me.I think you will ignore me because my questions are too hard for you to answer honestly.

Ray,

Nobody I spoke to was outraged at the treatment of a "14 year old white australian boy". Except may be those from the Open Borders Brigade, they were bleating by far the loudest of the injustice of the treatment of this boy and then in the next sentence comparing it to the treatment of people smugglers in Australia whose age is unknown. To the Open Borders Brigade it was just another opportunity to make their point. But for me, by all accounts most of the people I spoke to or heard from thought that the "14 year old white australian boy" was very, very lucky to get off as lightly as he did.

It is clearly evident that like every other problem introduced into Australia by Europeans, as every Aboriginal person cognisant with tradition knows, the cause of Australia's horrific deaths in custody record and "ill-conceived and damaging" Emergency Response and Stronger Futures legislation is male privilege, in particular the imbalance of male power in the administration of prisons and government services, and the entire justice system, sourced from Australia's parliaments and constitutions. But don't expect a PhD candidate or a community justice organisation presided over by men, however well meaning, to reveal the truth because university faculties and their boards of directors, and a bias towards male leadership, are similarly persuaded.

If you expand a bit more Philip maybe I can respond - I understand what you want to say about male privilege however can you tell me more? I sat on a university board and I was the only Senator (director) in its 33 years to be censured not once but twice for speaking up, etc...

Regards, Gerry

hi Gerry, why not do the numbers like Elizabeth Broderick and the ASX are doing with warnings to delist corporations from trading that fail to address the absurd underrepresentation of women on boards of directors, which will eventually spill over into the governance of the tertiary sector and every other organisation in the nation; or like the US Congress did in it's first proactive response to the GFC with the enactment of fair inclusion laws for women in the finance sector; or like the First Nations Congress has done with equal representation of women and men throughout it's organisation, inclusive of leadership?

What, numerically, is the representation of women in the governance of prisons, public and private (the blatantly sexist and discriminatory board of directors of Serco [global], for instance, is comprised of six men and one women .. and don't get me started on the mining companies!), and in the delivery of government services to Aboriginal peoples? Start from the top down if you like, the seventeen men and a paltry five women who comprise the Federal Cabinet; or the bottom up, survey the inmates and recipients of government services about their perception of equity between women and men (and therefore, common decency) from providers. You might have to acquaint yourself with some of the nuances of the equity push, like that it's an entrenched male culture not qualification or ability that's been preventing women's advancement, or that equity in senior management is now widely accepted to improve corporate performance and sustainable productivity (as Kate Ellis, for instance, will confirm), but the mere presentation of the basic numerical facts of gender inequity in the administration of prisons and the delivery of services to Aboriginal peoples would provoke much more concern that yet another account of what the many victims of misogyny have to deal with.

(I've long since tried the pursuit of justice through male privilege approach; got bashed in custody in Melbourne in 1980, travelled to Sweden and applied for political asylum, held in solitary for a month, returned to Sydney in custody (business class BA - they figured everything was ok for Aborigines after the 1967 referendum), warned off returning permanently to Melbourne, sparked the 1987 deaths in custody inquiry; and the outcome saw heaps of money thrown around to support an industry of activists to little, if any, effect.)

After all, if the administration of the justice system and the provision of services to Aboriginal peoples is inequitable with regard to the reproduction of culture, you can bet your bottom dollar the services themselves will be delivered inequitably. And there's much more to be done than simply expressing concern over the consequences of inequity, and maintaining the rage, however expertly undertaken, in particular, documenting, and focusing on the source of inequity, as many others are doing, and as a consequence achieving favourable outcomes for both individuals and communities.

Philip the last time I looked we had a woman Prime Minister a woman Governor General,A woman head of state(The Queen) and some women Premiers they all have done a great job of fucking the place what is you point?

Philip the last time I looked we had a woman Prime Minister a woman Governor General,A woman head of state(The Queen) and some women Premiers they all have done a great job of fucking the place what is you point?
Philip if it was not for Europeans you would be still in the bush living like cave man, don't get upset just think about it first.

You the cave man Shane T. The misogynist slop washed up on these shores two centuries ago has long since assimilated women's business. So where's the women's legislature? The parliaments men allow women to attend, inclusive of leadership, are boring.

Philip name one thing you and your people have done for this country in the last two hundred years?and getting drunk and abusing children does not count!If you fuck wits carried on like human beings you would not get locked up and die in custody its all your own fault, so eat shit and die.I'm on the coppers side here they do more for the community than you drunken arse holes do

Doesn't explain why there's no women's legislature, only the fear and loathing of women does that, and that's not you, is it, Shane T?

Philip name one woman that could cut it?Women belong in the Kitchen and bed room.Where were the women when we were building this country in the bed room and kitchen not out doing the hard yakka now that the hard work is done they want to take over.What these dumb arse woman don't understand is the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world,and not much of that has been happening since the bra burners took over,now the women are at work the kids come home to a empty house and get up to no good.A man could look after his family on one wage then came the bra burners and now the economy works around a two person income per house hold instead of one person income per house hold like it did before the bra burners.Who is the winners and who is the losers out of this.The losers are the children and family unit the winners are the government you just doubled the tax they used to receive women work for nothing now.The quicker women get back into the kitchen and bedroom the better it will be for everyone you lot have fucked the country!

I must say I am a fan of your work on this site. I am a fan of this site and its work. Gerry, you have a way with with writing, with words and you often hit the nail on the head. Your decision to publish your research findings on this site deserves much respect and I for on I appreciate what you are bringing to us.

The trauma you describe is saddening and every reason why it would be best to avoid mandatory detention and to end the Intervention.

With regards, Sally

It's just atrocious that children spend time in adult jails, what have we dropped down to.

Why the hell is the NT Intervention being kept on when what is being said is not the case and what is being done there is not doing any good but making things worse?

Ray,

Really sure even you can see the problem with:

"if our federal government wants to stop the boats then the answer is easy. hire a cruise ship, go to indonesia and load up and keep doing that until the camps are empty. no more 'people-smugglers', no more sinking boats, (although that never worried howard and his psychopath ministers. remember siev x?), no more world opprobrium. we get good solid middle-class people (being the only ones who can afford to pay the exorbitant fees) and mostly small business types and the economy bounces back. makes sense to me."

How many of the worlds 15 million refugees and 40million plus displaced people do you want in Australia?

How many of the worlds 5 billion poor do you want in Australia?

Where are they going to live, in what part of Australia?

Who is going to pay for their housing?

Where are they going to get jobs?

Who is going to pay to build the infrastructure that they need?

Please recognize that Australia does have a limited capacity to absorb refugees and displaced people. An open invitation to the people smugglers will only see that capacity exceeded. Sending ships as you suggest will only see hundreds of thousands and possibly millions of people descend on Indonesia in the hope of getting accepted into a high average income country such as Australia. But Australia now has a massive budget deficit that in the future will see large reductions in government spending and reductions in government services. Not only this, with the coming of peak oil (read cheap easy to get sweet light crude) building the housing and infrastructure that these people need will become increasingly more expensive and more difficult over the coming decade.

The Human Rights of non Australian Citizens is very important but it should not trump everything. In today's world an Open Border Policy like you propose won't be very good for Australia or Australians, whether Indigenous or otherwise.

Excellent work Gerry - have you submitted the work you have done to government? I think the senate committee could have benefited from your work though I do not imagine anything could have altered the powers that be. There is more to what's going on that caring about people, there are profits involved, mining profits but I'll be thought loopy like Helen Caldicott!

It is clearly evident that like every other problem introduced into Australia by Europeans, as every Aboriginal person cognisant with tradition knows, the cause of Australia's horrific deaths in custody record and "ill-conceived and damaging" Emergency Response and Stronger Futures legislation is male privilege, in particular the imbalance of male power in the administration of prisons and government services, and the entire justice system, sourced from Australia's parliaments and constitutions. But don't expect a PhD candidate or a community justice organisation presided over by men, however well meaning, to reveal the truth because university faculties and their boards of directors, and a bias towards male leadership, are similarly persuaded.

philip

"We have never had a successful prosecution into deaths in custody in 30 years where there have been 2056."Bullshit Gerry Carl Williams died in custody and there was a successful prosecution there have been many others.

Gerry, I think you are very correct about trauma and that at some point there is no longer the option of any recovery from it, and I think you are correct that this explains Aboriginal prison rates and their suffering in poverty. I think you make a lot of sense about so many things.

Thank you,

In solidarity, Simone

unfortunately Gerry is not some government listens to, he is the type that they run from, he is too smart for their dumb arses

Gerry tried to get in to Government but failed.Who is the dumb arse?

Neil, unless I was a candidate for the ALP or the Coalition I could not have possibly tried to get into government.

I would love to be in the House of Representatives and/or the Senate, or in a state lower or upper house. I think I have something to contribute however there is no possibility of myself entering parliament.

If I am candidate on any ballot as a Green in a non-winnable seat, or as an Independent, or with a fledgling voice then there never was an intention for getting into parliament and rather merely to engage in the dissemination, to highlight issues, etc...

It was Plato who said that if we do not engage with our politicians we risk being governed by the dumb.

Unless you see my name on a ballot and a major party is next to it don't imagine that I'm running for a seat in parliament!

LOL, Gerry

Gerry there is hope when there are people like you, Ruth

we need him calling the shots

Joseph, we don't need me calling any shots, all we need is humility, human courtesies, the dignity of knowing that life is a passing thing and that it is best lived with respect, when we drop the egos and the id we will have a shot at happy lives from the beginning of life for all of us, thanks anyway, Gerry

You've explained things real well Gerry in such a short byte

we need the likes of ya brother

moorditch

You are a great man Gerry

My hat off to you, power to you my good man

Louie

Publish your thesis online when you have finished many of us would like to read it, it will do more good online and accessible than on a book shelf! Power to you Gerry

Matt

PM's staffer did not act alone: report

By Lisa Martin, AAPUpdated February 1, 2012, 3:02 am

A federal government source has contradicted Prime Minister Julia Gillard's statement that a former staffer acted alone when he passed on information to a third party that led to a security scare at an Australia Day event, an indigenous newspaper says.

The National Indigenous Times (NIT) reported on Wednesday that an unnamed source, described as holding a "senior position within government bureaucracy", had told it a number of people within Ms Gillard's office knew beforehand the "leak" was going to happen.

The explosive report, which has not been confirmed, comes after a protest on Thursday at The Lobby Restaurant in Canberra sparked a security scare involving Ms Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.

Gillard media adviser Tony Hodges resigned on Friday, after making an "unauthorised phone call" about the whereabouts of Mr Abbott to indigenous ACT union official Kim Sattler, who passed on the information to Aboriginal tent embassy organisers.

"The federal government source said Mr Hodges did not act alone, that others in his office were aware of what was planned and the intention behind the call, and those who were aware may have included the Prime Minister herself," the page three report by Gerry Georgatos says, according to an extract seen by AAP.

About 200 protesters had headed to the restaurant angry at what they mistakenly believed was a call by Mr Abbott to remove the embassy from its site outside Old Parliament House.

As the protest escalated, Ms Gillard's security detail advised that she leave.

She was bundled down some steps, losing a shoe and almost tumbling, and rushed to a waiting car, with Mr Abbott running close behind.

Ms Gillard has since said Mr Hodges "acted alone" and his actions were "grave error of judgement".

"Mr Hodges, in taking these actions, acted alone and his actions were not authorised. Clearly they are viewed by me as unacceptable," she told reporters on the weekend.

The incident at The Lobby has been described as the worst political security scare in 30 years.

According to Ms Gillard's account, she did not know about Mr Hodge's involvement until late on Friday afternoon after attending an awards ceremony at Flowerdale in country Victoria.

Mr Hodges had informed his superiors - the senior press secretary and communications director - about his actions and her office spent the day investigating.
The federal opposition has called for the Australian Federal Police to investigate the events leading up to the security scare.

trauma, the trauma is yes brutal my good brother, Gerry you are a good friend to all people, my respect to you my brother

trauma, the trauma is yes brutal my good brother, Gerry you are a good friend to all people, my respect to you my brother

it's a bit sad that senate inquires come years after the event, in some cases never, but those years after like the immigration ones now the writing was on the wall years back as gerry points, who listens, not enough at the beginning

wow gerry you dig into the heart of things

its a sad state when you write so well and others still don't get it, speaks volumes of the ignorance you fight

fiona