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2013

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013)

Prisoners in Australia, 2012.

Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics

National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Committee (2013)

Bridges and barriers: addressing Indigenous incarceration and health: revised edition.

Canberra: Australian National Council on Drugs

This report provides a comprehensive examination of Indigenous incarceration in Australia. The report provides details on:

  • prison-related health risks
  • characteristics of Indigenous prisoners and detainees and trend information about Indigenous incarceration
  • Indigenous substance use issues and how they interact with the justice system
  • reasons for over-representation of Indigenous Australians in the correctional system
  • intervention opportunities within the criminal justice system
  • issues for consideration, including Indigenous participation in diversion programs, access to health care while in the correctional system and after release, recidivism, cost of incarceration, and the suitability of programs
  • recommendations.

This report provides an update to the Bridges and barriers: addressing Indigenous incarceration and health report released in 2009.

Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract

2011

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011)

Prisoners in Australia, 2011.

Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2011)

The health of Australia's prisoners 2010.

Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Indig D, Vecchiato C, Haysom L, Beilby R, Carter J, Champion U, Gaskin C, Heller E, Kumar S, Mamone N, Muir P, van den Dolder P, Whitton G (2011)

2009 NSW young people in custody health survey: full report.

Sydney: Justice Health and Juvenile Justice

Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs (2011)

Doing time - time for doing: Indigenous youth in the criminal justice system.

Canberra: Parliament of Australia

This report by the Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs presents findings from an inquiry into the high levels of involvement of Indigenous juveniles and young adults in the criminal justice system. The committee was focused on identifying reasons for the continuing over-representation of Indigenous young people in custody, and specifically ways of prevention and early intervention to curb this.

A major finding of the committee was the need for the Closing the gap strategy to include a national partnership agreement specifically relating to the Safe communities building block which would be inclusive of specific targets relating to justice. The committee made 40 recommendations to the Australian Government.

Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract

2010

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2010)

Prisoners in Australia, 2010.

Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2010)

The health of Australia's prisoners 2009.

Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Beacroft L, Larsen JJ, Lyneham M (2010)

Deaths in custody in Australia: national deaths in custody program 2008.

Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology

Butler T, Richters J, Yap L, Papanastasiou C, Richards A, Schneider K, Grant L, Smith A, Donovan B (2010)

Sexual health and behaviour of Queensland prisoners with Queensland and New South Wales comparisons.

Perth, WA: National Drug Research Institute and School of Public Health and Community Medicine (UNSW)

Richards K, Lyneham M (2010)

Juveniles in detention in Australia, 1981-2008.

Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology

2008

Butler T, Papanastasiou C (2008)

National prison entrants’ bloodborne virus and risk behaviour survey report 2004 and 2007.

Perth, WA: National Drug Research Institute

2007

Butler T, Allnutt S, Kariminia A, Cain D (2007)

Mental health status of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australian prisoners.

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry; 41(5): 429-435

Kariminia A, Butler T, Levy M (2007)

Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal health differentials in Australian prisoners.

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health; 31(4): 366-371

Kariminia A, Butler TG, Corben SP, Levy MH, Grant L, Kaldor JM, Law MG (2007)

Extreme cause-specific mortality in a cohort of adult prisoners-1988 to 2002: a data-linkage study.

International Journal of Epidemiology; 36(2): 310-316

Levy MH, Treloar C, McDonald RM, Booker N (2007)

Prisons, hepatitis C and harm minimisation.

Medical Journal of Australia; 186(12): 647-649

2006

Australian Medical Association (2006)

AMA Indigenous health report card 2006 – undue punishment? Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in prison: an unacceptable reality.

Barton, ACT: Australian Medical Association

The Australian Medical Association Report Card Series 2006 draws attention to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the prison system and highlights their poor health status - rates of violence and abuse, smoking, alcohol abuse and illicit drug use are far greater than those for the Indigenous community generally. The report details the facts, figures, problems, rights and wrongs, and suggests solutions to address the chronic health problems that overwhelm Indigenous prisoners and those in juvenile detention. Subject headings include: Indigenous imprisonment - who is locked up?; Women in prison; Repeat offending; Juvenile detention; Prison health services; and Who is responsible for prison services?. The report also highlights that there is no systematic collection of data on the health status of Indigenous prisoners. The AMA calls on the Federal government to keep those with mental health and substance abuse problems out of prisons, and to ensure the delivery of effective health services within prisons.

The accompanying Good News report summarises three successful programs that are available for Indigenous Australians affected by drug and alcohol issues. The programs are intended to divert Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people away from the criminal justice system and into treatment. They are run by Benelong's Haven, Milliya Rumurra, and through NSW local courts (the Magistrates Early Referral Into Treatment program (MERIT) is not Indigenous specific). But despite these good news stories, assessing the effectiveness of diversionary programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is complicated by the lack of published evaluations in this area.

Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract

2004

Butler T, Kariminia A, Bond J, Trevathan L (2004)

Injury surveillance in the New South Wales prison system.

Health Promotion Journal of Australia; 15(2): 151-154

Butler T, Kariminia A, Levy M, Kaldor J (2004)

Prisoners are at risk for hepatitis C transmission.

European Journal of Epidemiology; 19(12): 1119-1122

Butler T, Kariminia A, Levy M, Murphy M (2004)

The self-reported health status of prisoners in New South Wales.

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health; 28(4): 344-350

1994

Dolan K, Hall W, Wodak A, Gaughwin M (1994)

Evidence of HIV transmission in an Australian prison.

Medical Journal of Australia; 161(8): 508-509

1990

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1990)

Basic principles for the treatment of prisoners.

Geneva: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

This international report, published by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, provides guidelines for the humane and dignified treatment of prisoners. These principles include:

  • all prisoners shall be treated with the respect due to their inherent dignity and value as human beings
  • there shall be no discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status
  • it is, however, desirable to respect the religious beliefs and cultural precepts of the group to which prisoners belong, whenever local conditions so require
  • the responsibility of prisons for the custody of prisoners and for the protection of society against crime shall be discharged in keeping with a State's other social objectives and its fundamental responsibilities for promoting the well-being and development of all members of society
  • except for those limitations that are demonstrably necessitated by the fact of incarceration, all prisoners shall retain the human rights and fundamental freedoms set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and, where the State concerned is a party, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Optional Protocol thereto, as well as such other rights as are set out in other United Nations covenants
  • all prisoners shall have the right to take part in cultural activities and education aimed at the full development of the human personality
  • efforts addressed to the abolition of solitary confinement as a punishment, or to the restriction of its use, should be undertaken and encouraged
  • conditions shall be created enabling prisoners to undertake meaningful remunerated employment which will facilitate their reintegration into the country's labour market and permit them to contribute to their own financial support and to that of their families
  • prisoners shall have access to the health services available in the country without discrimination on the grounds of their legal situation
  • with the participation and help of the community and social institutions, and with due regard to the interests of victims, favourable conditions shall be created for the reintegration of the ex-prisoner into society under the best possible conditions
  • the above principles shall be applied impartially.

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights abstract

1982

Vinson T, Rea P (1982)

Wilful obstruction: the frustration of prison reform.

Sydney: Methuen Australia

1955

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1955)

Standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners.

Geneva: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

This international report, published by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, provides rules for the treatment of prisoners. The rules apply to many aspects of prisoner life, including:

  • accommodation
  • personal hygiene
  • clothing and bedding
  • food
  • exercise and sport
  • medical services
  • discipline and punishment
  • prisoner restraints
  • communication with prisoners.

Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract

 
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