New South Wales is the most lethal place to be an Indigenous person in prison, according to a new report from the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC).
However, with six Indigenous deaths in custody in 2021 so far, the State has already outnumbered last years data.
A lethal state
Between 2019-20, New South Wales held the highest number of deaths in prison custody, and the highest number of Indigenous deaths in custody.
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New South Wales had 42 deaths in custody, five of which were Indigenous.
The death rate in New South Wales prisons is also the highest since 2001-2 with .23 deaths per 100 prisoners.
By July 2021, New South Wales had already increased the number of Indigenous deaths from the previous year.
On 2 March, a 35-year-old Indigenous man died at Long Bay Prison Hospital, after being found unresponsive in a cell.
March 5 saw officers find a 44-year-old Indigenous woman unresponsive in her cell at Silverwater Women’s Correctional Centre.
On 18 March, 37-year-old Indigenous man Anzac Sullivan died in a police pursuit in Broken Hill, NSW.
In April, a 37-year-old Indigenous man was unresponsive in his cell at Cessnock Correctional Centre, NSW.
On July 8, 43-year-old Ngemba man Frank Coleman was unresponsive in his cell.
Indigenous deaths in custody
Indigenous people are more likely to die in custody as a proportion of the general population, according to the report.
Between 2019 and 2020, Australia marked the equal highest number of deaths in prison custody since 1979-80. The AIC attributed this to the increasing prison population.
Sixteen Indigenous people died in custody between 2019 and 2020.
“Indigenous people were less likely than non-Indigenous people to die as a proportion of relevant prisoners, but more likely to die as a proportion of the relevant general population.
Notably, between 2018-19 and 2019-20, the number of Indigenous deaths in prison custody decreased by three.
“In 1991, the RCIADIC concluded that Indigenous persons were no more likely to die in custody than non-Indigenous persons, but were significantly more likely to be arrested and imprisoned,” the AIC reported.
“The same remains true today. “
However, three in four of those deaths were due to natural causes.
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