NCJ Number
167010
Date Published
1996
Length
32 pages
Annotation
Eighty-six deaths of individuals in custody occurred in Australia in 1995 and involved 21 Aboriginal people and 65 non-Aboriginal people.
Abstract
The deaths included 58 deaths in prison custody, 26 deaths in police custody or custody-related police operations, and two deaths of juveniles in the custody of juvenile justice or juvenile welfare agencies. Two females were among the 86 deaths. The ages of those who died ranged from 16 to 75 years and averaged 33 years. The most frequent cause of death was hanging, followed in frequency by death from injuries and death from illness. The 86 deaths represented an increase from the 80 of the previous year, as well as the second-highest number in the 16 years for which data are available. Aboriginal people who amount to only 2 percent of the total population, were greatly over-represented in the deaths. The data indicate the need for stronger action to be taken by all governments to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, particularly the recommendations concerned with minimizing the number of people held in prison and providing a higher quality of care for those in prison custody. Figures, tables, and case summaries