naidoc week oration nsw police 8 july 2009 tom calma aboriginal and torres strait islander social...
TRANSCRIPT
NAIDOC Week OrationNSW Police
8 July 2009
Tom Calma
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner
• Produce two annual reports: the Social Justice Report and the Native Title Report that explore the extent to which Indigenous Australians enjoy their human rights.
• The reports assess government policies in relation to Indigenous health, housing, education, land, essential services, representative structures and other issues - using a human rights framework
Indigenous imprisonment
• Indigenous adults = 13 x more likely to be imprisoned than non Indigenous adults
• Indigenous juveniles = 23 x more likely to be detained than non Indigenous juveniles
• Indigenous women = 23 x more likely to be imprisoned than non Indigenous women
Indigenous imprisonment
• 48% increase in Indigenous imprisonment since 1996
• 34% increase in the Indigenous female imprisonment population between 2002-2006
Offender characteristics
• Many offenders are also victims of violence or abuse
• 70% of Indigenous female prisoners had been sexually abused as children
• 78% Indigenous female prisoners physically abused as adults
Offender characteristics
• High levels of substance abuse, mental health problems and cognitive disabilities
• Drug Use Monitoring Australia- 90% of juvenile detainees vs 40% of non Indigenous juvenile detainees tested positive for drugs in police custody
Offender Characteristics
• Indigenous young people in juvenile justice 4-5 times more likely to have an intellectual disability
• Up to 80% of Indigenous young people in juvenile justice have mental health issues
Indigenous community perceptions of Police
• Rooted in a long history of colonisation
Indigenous policy is everyone’s business
• Competency in Indigenous policing will strengthen the entire Police Force
Community Policing Partnership Project
• Supports the development of local partnerships between Police and Muslim communities
TRUST poster with NSW Police
• Treat, • Record,• Understand,• Supply, and • Train Guidelines to improve
monitoring and response to racial and religious hatred
Crime Prevention
• Police crime prevention work with Indigenous young people breaks down barriers and increases pro-social activities
Discretion and public order offences
• Indigenous people 17 x more likely to be in police custody than non Indigenous people
• Nearly a quarter of Indigenous people in police custody were being held for public order offences
Indigenous community partnerships
• Night patrols:– Community owned– Can defuse conflict– Greater efficacy when linked in with
sobering up shelters, mental health resources, safe houses etc
Indigenous family violence
• 18.3% of Indigenous women experienced physical or threatened abuse in the past 12 months vs 7% of non Indigenous women
• Social Justice Report 2007 presents best practice in Indigenous family violence and child abuse
Mildura Family Violence and Sexual Assault Awareness campaign
NSW Police Aboriginal Employment Strategy
• Flexible pathways in
• Aboriginal Employees support and mentoring
Justice Reinvestment
• Calculates the expenditure on imprisonment and diverts a proportion to local communities where there is a high concentration of offenders.
• The money that would have been spent of imprisonment is reinvested in programs and services that address the underlying causes of crime in these communities.
Thank you
• Further information:• www.humanrights.gov.au/social_justice/index.html