Death In Custody Case Study

Even though most studies would have discussed the overrepresentation of Indigenous Australians in the criminal justice system, studies have actually found that in contrast with this, Indigenous Australians are not

For the purpose of this report, a visit to the Melbourne Magistrate's Court was made on 22nd March, 2016. On this day, the second day of a four day committal hearing was heard regarding the matter of Omer Cicekdag, presided over by Magistrate Ann Collins.

After working under these horrendous conditions, including lack of sleep, lack of electricity to keep the newest technology machines working, shut-down elevators and air conditioning, and an unsanitary working environment, the remaining staff members at Memorial did what they could. The reason and quantity of the medications that were found in patients’ bodies were unquestionably incorrect with the justification by Dr. Pou that she was simply trying to reduce their physical suffering and relieve their anxiety. In this case, Dr. Pou’s situation was considered malpractice, because people argued that there were other ways to help these patients. Rodney Scott, one of the last patients to leave the hospital stated, “How can you say euthanasia is better than evacuation?..If they had vital signs, then get ‘em out. Let God make that decision,” (Fink, 28). It is anticipated that nurses will experience challenging working conditions, including an environment of fear, and too much responsibilities or things to focus on. To prevent faster burnout and secondary trauma, nurses will need sufficient rest periods, emotional support especially from the hospital facilities and

For decades, there has always been a very precarious relationship with aboriginal communities and the criminal justice system, especially with issues of indigenous victimisation and over-representation within the custody of police and prisons and the history of colonisation. Over-representation is the disproportionate numbers in which indigenous people come into custody compared to the non-indigenous. Although the justice system has been working together in order to overcome these deep-rooted issues and eliminate any negative associations with indigenous communities. This essay will outline the relationship between aboriginal communities and the police, the concerns associated with this relationship, why they are over-represented in the criminal justice system and the efforts that have been made to prevent this accumulating in the future.

Australia Bureau of Statistics (2012a) suggests that Indigenous Australia make up only 2.5 per cent of total population however sadly represent 26 per cent of the adult population in Australia Prisons. In addition according to the Australia Institute of Criminology (2007) young indigenous Australia in 2007 represented 59 per cent of the youth detention population

When considering why criminal law is important in achieving justice for Indigenous Australians it is pertinent to recognise that Indigenous people are grossly over-represented in the criminal justice system. Recent data suggests that Indigenous Australians aged 10 and over are 7.5 times

Throughout my career as a Child Protection Social Worker I have worked with Aboriginals from the Mi’kmaq population on numerous occasions; many of which were involved with the CJS at least on one occasion. The Aboriginal Justice Implementation Commission in an article stated “national crime rates for Indian bands are

Minister if you will turn your attention to the following chart, which shows a comparison of imprisonment rates between different countries. It is thoroughly disappointing to see that the Aboriginal’s represent Australia with such substantial numbers. Minister there are alarming numbers the gravity of this situation transfers to other areas. Furthermore Western Australia the Aboriginal imprisonment rates are at an astounding 3,741, in comparison to the Aboriginal people the rest of Australia at

The Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (RCIADIC) in 1991 provided documentation on the death of indigenous Australians in prison or police custody. In doing so the report highlighted the substantial over representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Criminal Justice system and provided detailed analysis of underlying factors. The reports findings were believed to be the foundation of change. However, regardless of a range of policy changes and crime prevention programs in repose to the report, over representation in the criminal justice system remains. The issue is one of the most significant social justice and public policy issue in the contemporary Australian criminal justice system. The RCIADIC made 339 recommendations, most of which have been implemented into the criminal justice system over the past two decades. Never the less the systematic over representation remains prevalent. The purpose of this essay is to understand over representation as it exists in the contemporary criminal justice system. Particular emphasise will be placed on the levels of women and youths in the criminal justice system, their contact with the system and empirically based risk factors pertaining to over representation. An evaluation of alternative programs in the pre and post sentencing stage and the impact such programs would have on the over representation will be conducted.

“These folks have been victimized twice. Once when their daughters, their sisters, their mothers have gone missing. And then, a second time when the justice system has utterly failed them in the pursuit of the justice they so rightly deserve. There can be no solution until we get to the truth in the heart of the matter, that this is a complex issue. The sources of this violence against Aboriginal women and girls is complex, but it… there’s no possibility of finding those solutions unless we actually have the truth on the table. And the resistance from this government time and time again, to have the courage and the leadership to approach this conversation and find that truth… is yet a third victimization of these families” (Pope C. & Smiley M., 2015)

Cunneens (2007) articles showed relative statistics, showing the negative effects of the relationship between the two groups, whether it is one groups wrong doing or not, the evidence shows that there is an issue that needs urgent attention and resolving. “Indigenous people were 17 times more likely to be held in custody than non-Indigenous people in Australia” this raw fact can be looked at from two different perspectives; number one the indigenous community are victimised by the police, or two a major percentage of the indigenous community are being involved in crime. Considering the indigenous population compared to the non indigenous community is so small, it does

Judge Barry Stuart, a non-Aboriginal, created sentencing circles which derive from the governance practices of the First Nations. In the sentencing circles the community decisions are made collectively by the elders and the other members of the community who contribute to the debate in order to come up with an amicable decision. The use of sentencing circles helps to reduce the culture clash between Aboriginal peoples and the Western world that they live in. It would take a great deal of time to completely rid the criminal justice system of systemic racism that leads to the mass incarceration of Aboriginal peoples, but sentencing circles would be step in the right

She was known to the police, social services of four local authorities, NHS, NSPCC and local churches, all of whom failed to properly investigate her case.

The over-representation of Indigenous people in the criminal justice system is a large problem in society and reasons as to why this may be occurring need to be examined (Walker & McDonald, 1995; AIC, 2013). Indigenous Australians make up less than three per cent of the overall Australian population, however Indigenous people are over-represented in Australian prison populations, with imprisonment rates that are around 12 times those of the rest of the Australian population (AIC, 2013). Rates of over-representation are even higher in juvenile detention, with a 10-17 year old Indigenous person being around 24 times more likely to be in detention than a non-Indigenous person of the same age (AIC, 2013; Cunneen & White, 2011). Indigenous Australians overrepresentation in the criminal justice system is usually due to offences pertaining to violence and public disorder (ABS, 2010; Hogg & Carrignton, 2006). This is endorsed by the fact that Indigenous Australians currently make up 40 per cent of those imprisoned for assault offences (AIC, 2013). The over representation of Indigenous Australians in the criminal justice system may be attributed to a variety of reasons, known as risk factors (AIC, 2013).

Focusing on skills in communities and getting the Indigenous out onto regular jobs with the opportunities in poor labour market. There is also talk about a welfare reform, which is stated by the government and helps abuse, family violence and community dysfunction. However the income coming in is at the interest of the children and provides better financial security for many mothers, grandmothers and other community members to raise and provide for their children. This is reforms starting to come in place however Australia Indigenous are in need of greater reforms like these ones to help provide more comfort for the