NCJ Number
172476
Date Published
1998
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This report presents information on deaths that occurred in police custody and custody-related police operations, as well as prison custody throughout Australia during the 12-month period of July 1, 1997, to June 30, 1998.
Abstract
It also provides an overview of trends in custodial deaths in the 7 years since 1991, when the Royal Commission Into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody Final National Report was issued, with its 339 recommendations. This current report shows that 99 people died over the study period. Twenty-three of these deaths occurred in police custody or custody-related police operations, and 76 occurred while in prison custody. No juvenile died in the custody of a juvenile justice agency. Seventeen of the 99 death were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and 6 were women. More people died in Australian prisons during 1997-98 than in any other 12-month period over the last 18 years. Deaths in prison custody have risen steadily over the last 18 years, from 28 deaths in 1980-81 to 76 deaths in 1997-98. During the Royal Commission period, prison deaths averaged 55 per year and accounted for 61 percent of all custodial deaths. Between 1990-91 and 1996-97, the number of deaths of both Aboriginal and non- Aboriginal people have increased significantly. In recent years the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia's prisons has continued to increase, as has their level of overrepresentation in both police and prison custody. Aboriginal people are heavily overrepresented in the number of custodial deaths compared with their number in the community. 7 tables, 2 figures, and 2 references