Incarceration and Aboriginal deaths on the rise despite Royal commission

5 months ago

More than three decades on from the royal commission into aboriginal deaths in custody. More indigenous people have died in the state's prisons this year than in any other year on record. The New South Wales coroner Teresa O’Sullivan has taken the rare step of issuing an open letter to mark the grim milestone, pointing to soaring Aboriginal incarceration rates as a driver in the rising deaths. And a warning this story carries the names and faces of indigenous people who have died.

Transcript

00:00It's been a decade since Paul Silver's uncle, David Dungay Jr, died after being restrained by Long Bay prison officers.

00:10He fears little has changed.

00:12It's quite distressing and disturbing to see that this is constantly happening.

00:16So far this year, 12 Indigenous people have died in the state's prisons, the highest yearly number on record.

00:23It's prompted the coroner to write,

00:25This is a profoundly distressing milestone. These are not mere statistics. Each of these deaths represents a person whose life mattered and whose loss is felt deeply.

00:35Families and communities are going to continue to carry the scars of these deaths in custody for generations to come.

00:42The coroner pointed to figures showing nearly four and a half thousand Indigenous adults were in custody in New South Wales.

00:48That's more than a third of the total adult prison population.

00:52Over the past five years, the number of Aboriginal prisoners has increased by almost 19%, while the non-Aboriginal prison population dropped by 12 and a half percent.

01:02Indigenous organisations say tightened bail laws and punitive policing practices are disproportionately affecting First Nations people.

01:10The New South Wales government should be absolutely ashamed of this record, but they also can't say that they didn't know.

01:19We warned them and have continued to warn them.

01:22The government says a review into Aboriginal deaths in custody is already underway.

01:26One death in custody is too many, and we know that we have to do better.

01:31The family of Wiradjuri man TJ Dennis is still searching for answers about his 2023 suicide in Silverwater prison, and says reforms are needed fast.

01:41It's very scary because we have three brothers in custody at the moment that are still in there, and we don't know whether they're going to make it home.

01:49Young lives depending on change.

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02:09They're able to develop the conditions in the future.

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