The Select Committee on the High Level of First Nations People in Custody and Oversight & Review of Deaths in Custody established an inquiry on June 17th 2020 into the overrepresentation of Indigenous Deaths In Custody. The New South Wales Parliament will focus on the operations and functions of the oversight bodies tasked with reviewing Deaths In Custody within the state. The inquiry has received over 130 submissions, including Justice Action’s Safe Restraint Proposal and National Deaths in Custody Database proposal. Our submission discusses recommendations regarding methods of safe restraint and de-escalation to improve the safety of offenders while highlighting the need for a centralised database containing the recommendations from coronial inquests across jurisdictions.
Both key experts and family members affected by Deaths In Custody will act as witnesses before the committee during the hearings. This Inquiry is paramount in improving the state’s standard of response to inmate deaths and significantly reducing the rate of First Nation deaths whilst under the supervision of corrective services.
To view the NSW Inquiry and subsequent submissions please visit https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/listofcommittees/Pages/committee-details.aspx?pk=266#tab-submissions.
Our submission can be found here: https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/submissions/69520/130%20Justice%20Action.pdf