The Senate has formally acknowledged that this year marks twenty
years since of the release of the Report of the Royal Commission into
Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, supporting a motion put by Senator
Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Issues.
Senator Siewert said the Senate has drawn attention to the continuing
high rate of incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people – a rate that continues to rise in an alarming fashion.
“Twenty years after the Royal Commission we are still seeing
disproportionately high rates of deaths in custody of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people,” Senator Siewert said.
“It is disappointing that the majority of the recommendations of the
Royal Commission have not been fully implemented.
“We look forward to the release of the report into the progress in
implementation of the recommendations of the Royal Commission by the
NSW Aboriginal Legal Service later in the year, and will continue to
work to see the recommendations put into practice.
“Implementing these measures is an essential part of meeting
international human rights obligations,” concluded Senator Siewert.
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Notice of Motion
20 years since the release of the Report of the Royal Commission into
Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
Senator Rachel Siewert
I give notice that on the next day of sitting I shall move:
That the Senate:
Notes that the 15th April 2010 will denote 20 years since the release
of the Report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in
Custody in 1991.
Draws attention to increasing and alarmingly high rates of
incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who are
14 times more likely to be incarcerated and represent 26% of our
prison population (despite representing less than 3% of our total
population).
Between 2000 and 2010 their rate of imprisonment increased from 1,248
to 1,892 prisoners per 100,000 adults, as compared to a change from
130 t0 134 non-Indigenous prisoners per 100,000 adults.
Raises concern at continuing disproportionately high rates of deaths
in custody of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with 269
deaths in custody since the report in 1991 (that is, nearly one in
five of all deaths in custody).
Expresses concern that twenty years later the majority of the
recommendations of the Royal Commission have not been fully implemented.
Calls on the Australian Government to:
• Consider the outcomes of current reviews underway into the
implementation of the recommendations of the Royal Commission,
undertake to report on progress and gaps, and map out further action
• Work with the States and Territories to undertake an audit of
standards and independent monitoring of places of detention and
consider options to promote consistency across jurisdictions
Websites with coverage of this area:
http://www.isis.aust.com/theblock/
http://www.REDWatch.org.au/