Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to be arrested and imprisoned at a rate far above that of the wider community.

The rate of imprisonment of indigenous Australians is more than twenty five times greater than that of the wider community. This is a consequence of the deep social and economic disadvantage suffered by indigenous people.

All Australian citizens have the right to be treated fairly under the law. Indigenous peoples are imprisoned at twice the rate of other Australians and are taken into police custody more often for minor offences.

The Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody examined the deaths of 99 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in custody. The Royal Commission concluded that the most significant cause of over-representation in custody was the economic, social and political disadvantage suffered by many indigenous peoples.

Of the 99 deaths examined, only two individuals had completed secondary education, and almost all had early and repeated contact with the criminal justice system. Forty-three people were separated from their families under government policies. The health of these indigenous people ranged from poor to very bad.

Addressing the underlying causes of indigenous disadvantage is fundamental both to removing the basic reasons for the disproportionate number of indigenous men and women in custody and to achieving meaningful reconciliation.

The last of the Royal Commission's many recommendations called for a formal process of reconciliation and cross-party commitment to try to overcome the disadvantage and lack of power of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

In 1992, the Federal Government committed $400 million over five years to implement the Commission's recommendations. State and Territory governments have made commitments to implement most of the recommendations and to fund their areas of responsibility. Despite this, deaths in custody continue at high levels, and it has become clear that much still needs to be done for governments to fully implement the Commission's recommendations.

Find out what has been done in your State or Territory to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. Support efforts to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody quickly and effectively.