Newsletter date: 16 April 2013
Contents:
* Michelle Lovegrove, SBS Living Black Audio: How Are The Children In Hakea Being Treated?
* The Stringer: Egg on face for State Government over children in adult jail
* Australian Human Rights Commission: Commission seeks to intervene in juvenile detention case
* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Human Rights Commission to intervene in Hakea children court case
* Tracker: WA judge orders juvenile jail evidence
* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Australian Bureau of Statistics on prison rates
* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Time for independent police inspectorate
* Background to Aboriginal imprisonment and Deaths in Custody
* SBS Radionews Audio: SA Indigenous rehab services in doubt
* The Wire Audio Interview: Much more to do with Indigenous mental health
* Lateral Love Australia Video: Gerry Georgatos of National Indigenous Times on Indigenous Australia and the media
* MICHELLE LOVEGROVE, SBS LIVING BLACK AUDIO: HOW ARE THE CHILDREN IN HAKEA BEING TREATED?
- Audio Interview
SBS Living Black: How Are The Children In Hakea Being Treated?
By Michelle Lovegrove
http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/aboriginal/highlight/page/id/262000/t...
10 Apr 13: "Supreme Court Justice Wayne Martin wants answers about the jailing of young boys in an adult prison in Western Australia. ... Justice Martin has told the court he wants to know how the boys are being treated and fed, what access they have to their families, and how long they are being locked in their cells. The Australian Human Rights Commission has also been granted leave to intervene in the case. Michelle Lovegrove is speaking with George Newhouse from Shine Lawyers, which is heading the case."
- Related Audio
Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association:
http://caama.com.au/radio#tabs-6
http://caama.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/am-11-04.mp3
11 Apr 13: "To Western Australia where the Australian Human Rights Commission is set to challenge the decision which saw the transfer of 73 children from a local Detention Centre to an adult Prison which was declared a detention centre for the purposes of the young offenders."
- Related Video
NITV News - 12 April part 1
http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/25923139881/NITV-News-12-April-part-1
* THE STRINGER: EGG ON FACE FOR STATE GOVERNMENT OVER CHILDREN IN ADULT JAIL
- Analysis / Opinion
The Stringer: Egg on face for State Government over children in adult jail
http://thestringer.com.au/egg-on-face-for-state-government-over-children...
11 Apr 13: " ... not only have judges, lawyers and the families railed against Premier Barnett over the decision to detain 141 children at Hakea so too have the Australian Human Rights Commission and effectively the WA Supreme Court. Premier Barnett and the Department of Corrective Services (DCS) are being left with egg on their face after accusations that they have flouted the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Youth Offenders Act and commonsense. They now remain standalone in their decision to keep the children in the maximum security adult prison."
* AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION: COMMISSION SEEKS TO INTERVENE IN JUVENILE DETENTION CASE
- Media Release
Australian Human Rights Commission: Commission seeks to intervene in juvenile detention case
http://www.humanrights.gov.au/news/media-releases/commission-seeks-inter...
10 Apr 13: "The Australian Human Rights Commission has been granted leave to intervene in proceedings in the Supreme Court of Western Australia in a matter concerning the transfer of children from the Banksia Hill Detention Centre to Hakea Prison.
This case seeks to challenge two decisions relating to the transfer. The first concerns the declaration that Hakea Prison is a detention centre for the purposes of the Young Offenders Act 1994 (WA). The second is the decision to transfer 73 children from Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Centre to the adult facility, Hakea Prison in WA. ...
President Triggs said that, by applying for leave to intervene, the Commission sought consideration of the human rights issues, specifically the rights and obligations arising under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to be fully considered by the Court when reviewing the decisions."
* GERRY GEORGATOS, THE STRINGER: HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION TO INTERVENE IN HAKEA CHILDREN COURT CASE
- News
The Stringer: Human Rights Commission to intervene in Hakea children court case
http://thestringer.com.au/human-rights-commission-to-intervene-in-hakea-...
10 Apr 13: "The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has entered the fray over the 141 children being held in Perth’s Hakea, an adult prison. The AHRC will appear before the Supreme Court of Western Australia in the matters raised concerning the transfer of the children from Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Centre to Hakea Prison. The case led by Sydney-based Shine human rights lawyer, George Newhouse on behalf of the families of the children in the adult prison is seeking to challenge two decisions ... Judges, lawyers and human rights advocates have criticised the decision to send the children to Hakea ... " By Gerry Georgatos, Editor & Journalist, a life-long human rights and social justice campaigner, a multi-award winning investigative journalist
Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer Editor & Journalist:
http://thestringer.com.au/gerry-georgatos-contributing-editor-and-journa...
* TRACKER: WA JUDGE ORDERS JUVENILE JAIL EVIDENCE
- News
newsTracker: WA judge orders juvenile jail evidence
http://tracker.org.au/2013/04/wa-judge-orders-juvenile-jail-evidence/
11 Apr 13: "Western Australia’s chief justice has ordered the state’s top prison officials to give evidence at a hearing next week on conditions faced by juvenile offenders at an adult jail. Significant court action has been launched in the WA Supreme Court to challenge the decision to transfer juveniles to units at Hakea Prison. Hakea holds 134 juveniles who were detained after a riot that damaged the nearby Banksia Hill detention centre. Chief Justice Wayne Martin said at a hearing on Wednesday that he wanted information from the Department of Corrective Services commissioner ... "
- Related News
Australian: Jail 'holds no fear for the hungry'
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/indigenous/jail-holds-n...
15 Apr 13: "NORTHERN Territory Chief Magistrate Hilary Hannam wants funding to be shifted from prisons to crime prevention, saying poor diet and housing mean jail is no longer a deterrent for indigenous Australians. In a submission to the Senate standing committee on legal and constitutional affairs, Ms Hannam writes that "justice reinvestment" represents "a significant opportunity" to reduce high imprisonment rates in the Territory." Patricia Karvelas
* GERRY GEORGATOS, THE STRINGER: AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS ON PRISON RATES
- Analysis / Opinion
The Stringer: Australian Bureau of Statistics on prison rates
http://thestringer.com.au/australian-bureau-of-statistics-on-prison-rates/
12 Apr 13: "According to the March figures of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) the age standardised imprisonment rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners at 30 June 2012 was 1,914 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. The equivalent rate for non-Aboriginal prisoners was 129 non-Aboriginal prisoners per 100,000 adult non-Aboriginal population. The ABS reported that the rate of imprisonment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners was15 times higher than the rate for non-Aboriginal prisoners at 30 June 2012, ... " By Gerry Georgatos, Editor & Journalist, a life-long human rights and social justice campaigner, a multi-award winning investigative journalist
Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer Editor & Journalist:
http://thestringer.com.au/gerry-georgatos-contributing-editor-and-journa...
* GERRY GEORGATOS, THE STRINGER: TIME FOR INDEPENDENT POLICE INSPECTORATE
- News
The Stringer: Time for independent police inspectorate
http://thestringer.com.au/time-for-independent-police-inspectorate/
13 Apr 13: "Two and half years ago Noongar Kevin Spratt’s tragic maltreatment at the hands of police officers made headlines around the world. CCTV footage caught out police officers who indiscriminately tasered and bullied Kevin Spratt - the footage shocked the nation and led as front line news around the world. Then weeks later more footage surfaced of Kevin Spratt being indiscriminately tasered and bullied by Corrective Services officers. This behaviour by police and prison officers smacked of a culture of various brutality and unchecked abuses. It shattered public trust in our police and prison officers ... " By Gerry Georgatos, Editor & Journalist, a life-long human rights and social justice campaigner, a multi-award winning investigative journalist
Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer Editor & Journalist:
http://thestringer.com.au/gerry-georgatos-contributing-editor-and-journa...
* BACKGROUND TO ABORIGINAL IMPRISONMENT AND DEATHS IN CUSTODY:
Last updated: 10 April 2013
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/12/17/background-to-aboriginal-imprisonment...
* SBS RADIONEWS AUDIO: SA INDIGENOUS REHAB SERVICES IN DOUBT
- Audio
SBS Radionews Podcasts: SA Indigenous rehab services in doubt
By Karen Ashford
http://www.sbs.com.au/podcasts/Podcasts/radionews/episode/262382/SA-Indi...
12 Apr 13: "There are renewed calls for Indigenous-specific rehabilitation services in South Australia. The calls come a year after funding was stripped from the state's only such facility, and six years after the Commonwealth promised another. A parliamentary committee has heard that millions earmarked for services remain unspent, and may be lost to the state if there's a change of government in September. Karen Ashford reports."
* THE WIRE AUDIO INTERVIEW: MUCH MORE TO DO WITH INDIGENOUS MENTAL HEALTH
- Audio Interview
The Wire: Much more to do with Indigenous mental health
Produced by Eduardo Jordan
http://www.thewire.org.au/storyDetail.aspx?ID=10240
12 Apr 13: "International and national mental health commissioners gathered in Sydney to talk about how Australia has improved on mental health issues, and to present the first National Report Card worldwide from the National Mental Health Commission. A good portion of the "Sydney conversations" forum was dedicated to Indigenous social and emotional wellbeing. According to the report released in November 2012, Indigenous social and emotional wellbeing has not improved enough and more measurements need to be consider.
Featured in story: Pat Dudgeon - Indigenous mental health commissioner and research fellow from the University of Western Australia"
* LATERAL LOVE AUSTRALIA VIDEO: GERRY GEORGATOS OF NATIONAL INDIGENOUS TIMES ON INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIA AND THE MEDIA
- Video
Lateral Love Australia: Gerry Georgatos of National Indigenous Times on Indigenous Australia and the media
http://lateralloveaustralia.com/2013/04/11/gerry-georgatos-of-national-i...
11 Apr 13
- - -
About WGAR News:
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/30/about-wgar-news-working-group-for-abo...
Subscription to 'WGAR News' is free.
'WGAR News' monitors the media, including alternative media, focusing on:
* the Australian Federal government intervention into Northern Territory (NT) Aboriginal communities;
* the Aboriginal sovereignty movement and the Aboriginal tent embassies;
* other Aboriginal rights issues; and
* upcoming Aboriginal rights events around Australia.
'WGAR News' publishes information and opinions from a wide range of sources.
These opinions expressed are not necessarily the opinions of WGAR.
The e-newsletters include media releases, opinion pieces, news items, audio, videos and events.
Subscribers can expect to receive about 7 e-newsletters each week.
To subscribe, email wgar.news@gmail.com and include the words "subscribe WGAR News" in the message header.
To unsubscribe, email wgar.news@gmail.com and include the words "unsubscribe WGAR News" in the message header.
Sample WGAR News e-newsletters:
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/01/03/about-wgar-news-sample-wgar-news-e-ne...
- - -
WGAR events postings:
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/01/03/about-wgar-news-wgar-events-postings
WGAR background info web-pages:
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/01/03/about-wgar-news-wgar-background-info-...
- - -
You can also subscribe to our second list 'Contact WGAR' which provides a point of contact and includes occasional activities and events.
To subscribe, email contactwgar@gmail.com and include the words "subscribe WGAR Contact" in the message header.
- - -
WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)
WGAR Website: http://wgar.wordpress.com/