There is an over-representation of Aboriginal people in the criminal justice system, including prisons in Australia. The Chief Justice of Western Australia — a state where Aboriginal people are imprisoned at a higher rate than anywhere else in Australia — says there’s no doubt Aboriginal people are disadvantaged within the justice system. 09.01.2018. Institutionalised racism is not just found within the police force – it seems the whole criminal justice system plays its part. Submissions; Show more. However, they comprise more than 42% of the prisoners in custody. An investigation of an Aboriginal death earlier this year outside of the criminal justice system starkly raised the broader issue of systemic racism, this time in the healthcare system. History of contact with the criminal justice system. Chief Justice Wayne Martin QC said unless Australia could improve the provision of support and services to remote areas, […] A resurgence of COVID-19 put a damper on protests in Australia, and activists fear the momentum from Black Lives Matter to force meaningful criminal justice reform for Aboriginal … Aboriginal people are massively overrepresented in the criminal justice system of Australia. The over-representation of Aboriginal people in the criminal justice system is a complex and enduring issue. Consultations; Appendix 2. A recent NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) report found that over the last fifteen years, the Indigenous prison population in NSW has more than doubled. Bias in the criminal justice system. Appendix 1. The recognition of aboriginal customary laws under the Australian Criminal justice system is just confined to acknowledgement of just the traditional physical punishments at the stage of sentencing. They represent only 3% of the total population, yet more than 29% of Australia's prison population are Aboriginal. Aboriginal Australians in Western Australia comprise between 3 and 4% of the general population. It remains high, and the conditions that led to the signing of the first AJA remain as valid today as they were in 2000. It all depends upon the interpretation and readings of individuals who play a role in the Criminal justice system in the capacity of judicial officers, officers of the court, lawyers and police officers etc. Exclusive: data shows hugely disproportionate treatment, which experts say helps trap young Aboriginal people in the criminal justice system Michael McGowan and Christopher Knaus Indigenous Australians And The Criminal Justice System Andrew Bushnell 15 September 2017 PUBLICATIONS , Research Papers , IPA TODAY , RESEARCH AREAS , Criminal Justice Share: