Aboriginal imprisonment rates through the roof

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The Aboriginal Legal Service ACT/NSW (ALS) and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) have released a joint statement saying the “Government cannot ignore the growing crisis of the imprisonment of Aboriginal people in NSW.”

“The increasing number of Aboriginal people in custody shows a disturbing lack of progress in Closing the Gap in NSW,” the statement said.

“More than 30 years on from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, and two years on from a NSW Legislative Council Selective Committee Inquiry, the NSW Government is failing to take recommended steps to reduce the Aboriginal prison and youth detention population.

“These numbers also reflect the impact of over-policing of Aboriginal communities in NSW, a ‘push’ factor driving the numbers of Aboriginal adults and young people on remand.

The ALS and PIAC continue to call for reform. In particular, ending the use of ‘proactive policing’ tools like the Suspect Target Management Plan against young people and reforming consorting laws which they say are disproportionately used against Aboriginal people.

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